The Mile High Club
by strange1
Summary: *uber* Evie is a pilot that no longer believes in love but loves the ladies. Andy is a flight attendant that has been stuck in a 7 year relationship because she doesn't think she deserves love. Can these two find love once they are thrown together? Or will Andy be just another one on Evie's list on the mile high club one night stands.
1. Chapter 1

AN-Ubers galore for me. Lol Andrea (Andy) is a flight attendant that has been in a bad relationship with Brett, a user and con man, for about seven years. for some reason, she doesn't think she deserves happiness or love. her paths cross with a pilot new to her airline named Monica (Evie). Evie calls herself an honest cad not looking for a lasting relationship. she had one in her youth and it left her scarred. She decided to have a child with her gay friend Jarod Little (JL). JL owns a gay bar which Evie is a silent partner in. events happen to throw them together, quicker than either is prepared for. Can they build a lasting relationship?

There were so many noises echoing around her from the latest argument with her boyfriend that it was distracting her. The tall raven haired woman was already running behind. Her emotions were already getting the better of her as she heard a saying that she heard in her sleep. 'Please report any suspicious behavior or any unsupervised bags to security. Please do not hold on to a bag if someone asks you to. Security is heightened at this time'.

Blue eyes rolled at the annoying woman's voice. The only good thing was that the sound of Brett's voice was being drowned out. Of course, if she was to ignore him too long, he would get even more upset with her. Andrea Parks, better known to her friends as Andy, suddenly sensed something. There was the sound of one of the many planes taking off. Her head swiveled around, scanning the mulling crowd. If there was something or someone, there were simply too many people for her to know for sure.

The flight attendant was brought back to the here and now when the deep voice of the agitated man that had been her on again/off again boyfriend for the past seven years rose to a near screaming level. In fact, it drew the attention of almost everyone immediately surrounding them in the crowded airport. Atlanta International Airport was almost always busy, but here at noon on a Saturday, it was packed with all kinds of travelers, especially seeing it was Labor Day weekend. An already flushed face was now bright red.

The dark blue uniform that she was wearing was getting stuffy. Even though the airport was massive, she was beginning to feel claustrophobic. That was not a good thing seeing as soon she would be high in the air with over a hundred people that would expect nothing but a perky attitude. Internally, Andy sighed. If she had her way, sometimes anyways, she would just end it with Brett and be done with it. That would end these embarrassing moments.

But the tall dark haired woman was afraid. Andy had this overwhelming fear of being alone. Sure she would love to find love, if it truly existed. The fear of ending up old and alone was always pressing on her. The fact that her parents, especially her mother, loved Brett and was continually asking how he was seemed to keep her glued to the man standing before her. It was as if her life wasn't really her own. It was as if she were living it for everyone else.

"Brett, Sweetie, please." Andy braced herself for the coming yell. The man hated it when she called him sweetie. She really didn't mean it. It was just something that she called almost everyone that got close to her. Sometimes it would slip out when she was attending to one of her passengers. It was simply in her nature to be loving. And yet, it seemed that outside of her family, there was no one that was ready or willing to truly love her.

Sure enough, the voice that had been raised went almost literally through the roof. "Can you just tell me why you have to go away this weekend, a holiday?" The man was almost as tall as the flight attendant. His hair was just as dark. But his eyes were almost the shade of the night sky they were such a dark blue. "I mean, it's every weekend that you are gone. I need you home." Of course what he wouldn't tell her is that he needed her home to have access to her savings account.

That was all that Andy really was to the man. For his thirty eight years on earth, it seemed to happen even when he was a baby; he was always looking for a 'get rich scheme' that actually worked. He had gone through so much of the flight attendant's money, that she was now in slight debt and her credit was pretty much ruined. Brett hadn't any credit or money of his own. Yet he had been threatening her for years to permanently evict her from their condominium. Stupidly, it was in his name so he had the right to remove her at any time.

Andy wanted to roll her eyes. Why did she have to work? There were hundreds, if not thousands of reasons. They were all in the form of bills that her boyfriend kept racking up just assuming that she would pay. "I've told you. The weekend flights pay more, especially holidays. Plus, if I turn down any more assignments this year, I might just lose my job." _And it's only the beginning of September. _Having been a flight attendant for over ten years, the thirty two year old had seniority and the pay that came with it.

The raven haired woman would be hard pressed to find another job that gave her as many perks and with equal pay. Perks was a relative term. They included health benefits, a decent retirement plan and of course travel. When she first started out, the travel was what she had sought. It was a way to get to exotic places that she knew on her own she would never be able to. Now, she had been to most major countries and most major cities.

So why did she continue to do what she did? There was Brett. Not really loving him, he really shouldn't be a factor. But the fear of ending up alone was almost crippling at times. There were the frequent trips to Las Vegas to see her parents who had moved there when they retired taking her younger brother with them. There were the few friends that she had made over the years, but mostly were nonexistent. If she were truly honest with herself, the real reason was to seek that elusive 'true love' or 'soulmate' she had been searching for since she was ten.

Ten was an interesting year for her. The dreams had started then. It was a nameless faceless being that invaded her dreams. There were no words spoken either. There were feelings of intense love and protection as this unknown figure wrapped their arms around an adult Andy. That had been the other odd thing about her dream. It was never as her as a child. It had always been as an adult. It was…a little disconcerting. But it was also thrilling and had given her something to look forward to.

Thirty two years was a long time to wait. Yet there was a part of her that knew that she would wait a lifetime for true love. At that moment, a blur of yellow or blond caught her eye. The couple of inches she had on Brett came in handy as she managed to look at the security area. There, going through the employee's line, was a petite blond woman. The uniform appeared to be of a pilot. That caused the brunette to smile as there were very few women with wings.

Before she could get a good look at the woman, the loud voice of her boyfriend was breaking through her thoughts once again. Andy sighed heavily and looked at her watch. Brett was like a broken record and he was making her extremely late for her preflight rituals. "Sweetie…" The flight attendant saw the visible cringe shudder through her boyfriend's body. A part of her wondered if she had said it intentionally. "I have to go. I can call you from Phoenix if you…"

"Don't bother." Andy stood stunned. In all their years together, with all the fights that they had had over the years, Brett had never spoken like this to her. "I've decided something. If this job is more important than me, then you can find another place to live. I'll have your stuff in storage. You can come get the key to the storage place." The man began to walk away, but decided on one last jab. "Have a safe flight." The sneer was almost blinding.

Andy had heard similar words, it was true. But never had she heard the ones that said that her stuff would be in storage. Her thoughts were not just about what he would take from her. Her thoughts were of her motorcycle. Her thoughts were of her precious cat, a reddish orange fluff ball whose name was Rose. The flight attendant quickly made her way through security, knowing the drill by heart. Quickly she found the employee lounge and then the restroom.

Though there were now only ten minutes left before the plane that she was assigned to was to land, Andy took the time to have a good cry. This time felt final. Why it hurt so much, she was not sure. Perhaps it was because she had known all along that he was just holding on to her for whatever he could get out of her. Apparently Brett had finally sucked everything out of her that he could. So again, why was she crying so?

The flight attendant heard someone else in the restroom with her and quickly pulled herself together, at least as much as she could. She waited until she heard the door open and close before she made her way to the sink. Cold water felt good on her overheated face. It would be wonderful if there was a balm out there that could soothe her broken heart. Not knowing there was someone at the door still, she muttered, "Well, guess being homeless will be an interesting prospect when I get back. Thanks for nothing, Brett."

The raven haired beauty quickly brushed her hair back into a loose braid. Just a touchup to her makeup was needed as she hardly wore any at all. Her mother had told her repeatedly growing up that she could have been a model. Perhaps it was her height. Perhaps it was because she had angular cheek bones that her natural tan accentuated. Whatever the reason, her mother had pushed her into beauty pageants. But the tall woman never felt comfortable in the spot light and soon quit 'the circuit'.

Taking another deep breath just to cleanse out all of the built up tension that had been created by her now ex-boyfriend, Andy finally found the strength to force herself back into the lounge. If anyone noticed that she had been disheveled before, they were not making it known. There was the blur of blond once again. This time when she looked up, she saw the pilot in her uniform. The green eyes were the most breathtaking shade she had ever seen.

The flight attendant heard the tail end of the conversation. "I love you too, Baby. Already counting the seconds until I get to see you again. Have a good weekend and behave for me or I'll have to punish you." There was an obvious playfulness in the voice. The petite blond exited the lounge. For some unknown reason, the words tore at Andy's soul. Why they would do that, she had no idea. The raven haired woman literally shook her head trying to get it back into work mode. A glance at the clock told her that it was only five minutes until the plane arrived.

Those five minutes flew by as her mind was so preoccupied. Her thoughts were of being basically homeless. Since her parents were no longer living in her childhood home, there really was no one she could turn to. It seemed every time that she made a friend, male or female, they always seemed to stop calling after a while. It was as if something or someone were pushing them away from her. Or maybe it was just that she was not worthy of any kind of love.

The mundane part of getting the aircraft cleaned and stocked took only ten minutes. Soon, years of experience and training took over as she permanently had a smile screwed upon her face. Sometimes her cheek muscles actually hurt after a long flight. No matter what, her first priority was to keep her passengers happy. Sometimes that meant the occasional grope or pinch. Luckily in this day and age, it didn't happen all that often.

Of course, this flight had to be different. The nearly six foot frame of the flight attendant made her have to bend down ever so slightly to keep her head from hitting the low ceiling. With the low cut blouses that they were forced to wear, it gave a peek at her ample cleavage. To her surprise, it wasn't a man that took notice of the twin pillows. The woman, middle aged with slightly greying hair, waved her over. Andy automatically leaned down. "I'd like a travel pillow please."

The flight attendant quickly stood up, brushing the top of her head on the ceiling. It wasn't the first time that she had heard the line. It probably wouldn't be the last time either. It was the first time in almost a year since it had come from a woman. Andy sighed inwardly wishing that she had been assigned to the front of the airplane instead of the rear. She would have preferred that for several reasons. One was getting to talk to the pilots, whoever they were. Since she was late getting on board, she never greeted the pilots this time.

"I can get you one for five dollars." The look on the woman's face told her that she was not interested or amused for that matter. Andy only smiled sweetly. When there wasn't an answer for a long time, she decided that it was time to serve the drinks. "I'll be right back to take your drink order." Knowing that it would drive the woman crazy, she reached out and patted her shoulder. "If you want that pillow, just let me know. We have plenty on hand, Sweetie."

Andy heard grumbling as she left the woman's seat. A part of her was laughing. It was not all that nice she knew. But she simply could not help herself. It was going to be a long flight and anything that she could do to amuse herself or alleviate her of the constant worry about her feline companion and where she was going to be living. A deep sigh escaped her as she busied herself with the drink preparations as well as the snack items.

The over four hour flight seemed to go on and on. The woman had seemed not to get the hint. Every time that Andy had walked by her, she was getting pinched or poked or a comment made. Her nerves were on edge by the time that she was seated, readying for landing, bracing for yet more turbulence. The smile was more than forced as she made sure that all of her passengers that were to disembark did so. She wished the ones staying on board to the next leg of the flight a good day.

The flight attendant heard that angelic voice once again as she made her way down the tunnel to the terminal. Though quite jealous, Andy could not help a genuine smile at the words. Once again there was the sentiment of love and being missed. It was something that Brett never said to her. That wasn't exactly true as he would tell her he loved her when he wanted money or if he was begging her to take him back. But those were the only times and she knew that she was being used.

Not knowing anyone in Phoenix and having an all-night layover before her flight first thing in the morning, Andy knew that she was destined for a lonely night in the big city. It would end all alone in a hotel that was near the airport paid by the airline. Once again, she found herself sighing at just how her life was turning out. This was not the life she envisioned when she was younger, not by a long shot. Maybe being truly on her own for a while was a good thing. And maybe pigs flew.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The petite blond was used to the looks. Her smaller frame in the bulky pilot's uniform sometimes made her look like a man, especially with her short hair. The loose fitting uniform hid her curves. Thankfully, once a woman got a good look at her face, they were throwing themselves at her. The pilot had long ago given up on love. There had been one once upon a time that she thought was the one for her. That was before she had decided to become a pilot.

It was amazing still how even the faintest hint of her former lover could make her mood sour and make the urge to find a woman to have a one night stand with almost overwhelming. Unlike her one time lover, Monica Evelyn Whitmore, or Evie to her friends, was an honest cad. She made sure that every woman that she had slept with since breaking up with the woman she thought she'd be with forever knew that it was only a onetime thing.

Evie pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she made her way through the crowded Atlanta airport. While she absolutely loved flying and being a pilot, being away from home on the weekends, especially during the school year, were hard on her. At least she knew that her little man was well taken care of by his father. Having made the decision to have a child with her gay best friend was the best decision that she had ever made.

Jarod Little couldn't be a more loving father if he tried. He was single at the moment. Unlike her, he had not given up on love. Her best friend had simply just taken a break from the dating scene. Partly it was because running the bar and raising their son took a lot of his time. Of course the fact that the bar was a gay bar offered temptation from time to time. For now, JL was content with being a father and a very good friend to the petite blond.

A raised voice caught her attention. It was human nature, sadly, that one tried to figure out what the yelling was all about. Evie could not help but notice the tall drink of sweet tea that was standing there, especially her taut buttocks. Though her posture was slumped at the berating she was taking, it was obvious that the raven haired woman was tall. A smirk was on the pilot's face thinking just how much she'd like to take a drink of her sweet nectar.

The pilot's face was instantly a bright red. Normally thoughts like that had no effect on her. Perhaps it was because the woman seemed so stressed at the situation. It almost felt like she was intruding on their personal lives. Whatever the reason for the blush, it was making her uncomfortable. Besides, she was running slightly behind. With one last glance that became a long gaze at the beautiful woman, she made her way through security.

As she was searched, along with her carry on, her mind was drifting to the flight attendant. Evie had never worked with the tall woman before having, only taken the job with The Friendly Skies airline only a month ago. It had been a necessary change. Her former employer wanted her to be based out of Chicago. Because of her son and because of the fact that she was silent partner in Jarod's bar, there was no way that she was going to move.

In a way, it was actually a very good move. Her past airline had insisted that they make a lot more flights during their shift. To her, it was dangerous. They came back with her that most pilots had the stamina and it was only her that couldn't handle it. That had gotten the blond's dander up. To be clear, the woman maybe small but making her angry was the last thing that you wanted to do. She had a temper that could rival Scrooge himself.

Evie made it to the employee lounge in plenty of time after having confirmed the arrival of the airplane, the capacity and the fuel that was to be taken on. Slowly she made her way over to the awaiting beverages. The coffee always tasted like tar, but she always liked to have a small shot of caffeine before she started a trip, especially one that was going to be over four hours. As she was fixing the black brew to her liking, she pulled out her cell phone.

The deep voice on the other end of the line caused her to laugh. If she and Jarod had been straight, they would have been perfect for one another. They just seemed to have so much in common. Unfortunately, one of those things was that they were both gay. Still, they made a great parenting duo and she knew that her little Dustin, better not call him DJ, had an outstanding role model. "Put the little monkey on the line. I have to get going soon."

It wasn't long that she heard her son's excited voice. It seemed that her partner in crime had promised their son a trip to the zoo on Monday. Since Evie would not get back until late on Sunday night from her return flight, they wouldn't be able to do anything until then. The zoo would be busy as it was the holiday, but her son was more than worth it. "Well, if your father has promised you the zoo, we'll go. And before you ask, yes you can invite a friend or two. But no more than three." There were groans and the pilot laughed as her son begged her for more.

Something caused the little hairs on her neck to standup. Evie turned to instantly get lost in the most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen. They were like pools that you could drown in they were so vibrant. It took a moment for her to recover from the sight of the raven haired flight attendant standing there. DJ's voice was echoing in her head but she was not hearing it. The beauty that was before her was beyond words. And it was more than her outer beauty.

There was something that was drawing her to this woman that she had never seen before in her life, though there was a familiarity about her. There was her libido. That was obvious. After all, this woman was drop dead gorgeous. Truly she could be a model she was that amazing looking. But there was something more to it. What, she could not put her finger on. Finally, her son brought her fully back to the here and now. "Honey, hold on for just a moment."

Something caused her to follow the flight attendant into the bathroom. There were the obvious sounds of crying. Figuring that she was imposing on a private moment, she decided to leave. After the door had shut, something had made her open it, just a crack. That was when she barely heard it. "Well, guess being homeless will be an interesting prospect when I get back." It broke her heart just how sad the other woman sounded.

Still, she had to give her some privacy as well as get back to her son. After a little more conversation, she was saying her goodbyes to her son. Once again, she saw the tall woman out of the corner of her eye. The woman seemed much more composed. As she ended the call, she wished more than anything that she could take the woman's pain away. It would totally suck if she were to ever find herself alone and homeless.

As she was saying her goodbyes, she was unaware that someone had been listening to her conversation with a great deal of interest. That someone was on the mind of the pilot. The fact of what this stranger was going through again hit her deep in her soul. That was when an idea hit her. It was something that she never would have thought of suggesting with anyone else. At that moment, she heard the announcement of the arrival of her airplane.

Evie picked up her carryon and made her way through the sparse gathering of flight attendants and pilots. Her mind was slightly preoccupied as she went through her normal preflight routine. It was on that raven haired woman. Something, even before finding out that she was now homeless, had captured her. The pilot sighed as she forced her mind on the task at hand, wishing that the stranger was on her crew. Not knowing her name, she could not tell by the list that she had.

The flight was a smooth one. Evie loved the slightly longer flights. It gave her time to think. It gave her time to feel free. It wasn't her son that she wanted freedom from. There were things in her past as everyone has that had given her this almost overwhelming need to be up in the air away from anything or anyone that could hurt her. Luckily this flight had copilots that were not threatened by her gender. Too many times men hated taking orders from her.

The petite blond's mind was on her son and how she intended to spend her days off. Two more flights. One to Chicago and then the return flight to Atlanta. Monday and Tuesday would be family days. It would be just in time to see her boy turn ten before she had to once again go flying off somewhere. Luckily the little man understood and with technology, she could keep in touch with him even having face to face chats on Skype.

"I see it." Before her copilot could say anything, Evie had already seen the upcoming turbulence. "Gonna be a bumpy landing." Her voice invaded the back of the airplane. It drew the attention of the flight attendant in the back momentarily until the insistent woman garnered her full attention. Not admitting to it, but for once the pilot was glad to land. Her past was coming back to haunt her mind, body and her soul it seemed.

_Time to find a pretty lady and push all thoughts out of my head._ Evie quickly made her way through the post flight procedures, signing off to the pilot that was waiting to take the aircraft to its next destination. With her carryon in her hand and a quick call to her son, she made her way to the front of the airport and to the myriad of taxis that were waiting. A deep voice that caused her groin to pulsate a couple times caused her to turn around, her breath catching as soon as she did.

The pilot was submerged in a haze of blue, sun glistening off from tan cheeks and dark hair that had been in a braid not too long ago. The waves that were now in the silky brunette strands made the woman look even sexier, if that was possible. The flight attendant was also hailing a cab. Usually isolating herself with the exception of a conquest here and there, Evie did something that was uncommon and out of character for her.

The petite blond sauntered up to the tall cool refreshing breath of fresh air. For a long moment, Evie felt lost in those electric blue eyes. Quickly shaking the feeling off, the real Monica gathered up her self-assuredness and came to stand within a foot or so of the woman. "Excuse me." Andy jumped at the sound of the sweet voice. Her hand went over her heart, obviously having been startled. "Sorry, Little Lady, I didn't mean to scare you. Just was wondering if you were headed to the Fremont."

It took a moment for Andy to recover. It wasn't because she had been that startled by the soft melodious voice; it was because she found herself looking into the sea of green once again. This fixation on the stranger's eyes was something that was new to her. In fact, she could barely remember what Brett's eye color was and she had been with him for just about seven years. "Yes. I have a layover and was headed that way. Do you want to share a cab?"

There was a warmth spreading quickly from Evie's stomach down to her lady parts. This type of reaction went past her usual extremely strong libido acting up. It was akin to what she had with _her_ and yet it made it pale in comparison. _Stop those thoughts. You know she's straight. She may have broken up with her boyfriend, but she's still off limits. Still…_ "That's exactly what I was thinking. The airline may spring for the hotel; they don't for the cab fare. Split it?"

How was Andy to turn down the offer of sharing the fare? "Sure." They both waited until a taxi was available. The silence seemed to go on between them. Finally, just as they were to pull into the parking lot of the hotel, the flight attendant held out her hand. She was surprised at just how quickly the petite blond took it. It almost seemed…greedily in a way. "My name is Andrea, Andy to my friends. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk during the flight. I was stuck in back."

Evie was surprised by the strength and warmth that she felt in the much larger hand. There was something about this woman that was going to drive the pilot insane. How she knew that, she was not sure. All she knew was that she was going to have to be careful around the raven haired woman. "My name is Monica, but everyone calls me Evie." After a questioning look, she shrugged. For some reason she hated her first name. Perhaps it was because _she_ called her that. "I can't believe they would stick a beautiful woman such as yourself in the back. I thought the perk of being a pilot was…"

The pilot was quick to cut off the rest of what she was about to say. Andy looked at her in question once again. Evie cursed herself for letting her natural flirty personality get the better of her. This woman was not available. She wondered how many times she was going to have to say it before she both believed it and was going to respect that fact. "Sorry. Just me being goofy. I meant nothing by it." The puzzled look took forever to fade.

Andy decided that her new acquaintance was just a little more friendly than she was used to. After Brett and years of isolation from anyone, that wouldn't take much. "It's all right." After splitting the fare, they got out of the taxi and stood watching one another. It was still early and all that the flight attendant wanted to do was to have a long luxurious babble bath and maybe a nap before dinner. "Well, I guess it's time to check in. Maybe we'll see one another around?"

_You can count on it._ Evie was once again mentally slapping herself for such thoughts. True, she was a knockout. She was breathtaking. Sure she could have any man or woman she wanted. The heart and body of the pilot sunk at the very thought. Andy would never want her. Why was the woman that thought she could and had score with any woman suddenly unsure of herself? "Yeah. Maybe we'll work another flight together and you can be up close and in person with me."

The flight attendant blinked a couple times at the words. _Surely she's not flirting with me. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm not her type. What type I am, I have no clue. I just know it's too soon to even think of anyone else let alone discovering I like women._ For some reason, that last thought excited her as much as the thought of potentially working with the pilot once again. "I'd like that." Where the words came from, Andy was not sure.

There was a beaming smile upon Evie's face as they walked to the desk of the hotel to secure their rooms. It wasn't long before they were on their way to the second floor. Just as Andy was about to shut the door, she heard a curse. The heavy door was opening again and she was looking out at the woman she thought she wouldn't see for at least hours if not days. The pilot felt the eyes upon her. The green light lit up and she opened the door. Hesitating for a moment, she said, "I hate these things. I miss keys."

That got a soft laugh out of the flight attendant and nod in agreement. The pair waved at one another before allowing their respective doors to close. Andy made her way to the bed and threw herself on it. Part of her wanted to give in and cry again. Thinking of how many times it was that Brett had treated her like dirt, a servant and an ATM machine were quickly pushing those thoughts out of her mind. There was another thought of a day about two years ago.

That day had almost ended their relationship permanently, only it would have been ended by the flight attendant. There had been rumors, not that she had many friends to hear them, about Brett stepping out on her. When she had come home that day, the shock still got her. They were on their bed just having finished having sex. There was no way that Evie would ever call it making love. After all the things that she had been through lately, she knew now that she had never made love to anyone.

Why hadn't she left him for good that day? Evie stood and stripped out of her uniform. Not having time to have it properly cleaned, she hung it in the closet, using the spray bottle of Fabreeze to freshen it. She hoped the wrinkles would come out if she left it hanging there overnight. And that was why she had stayed with Brett came to her. Not because she loved him. It was because of her fear of not being able to find anyone else that would even think of attempting friendship or more with her.

The flight attendant enjoyed the warmth of the water and the bubbles that tickled her skin. She was attempting to soak away her day. It started with losing her boyfriend and home that she paid for. She had been stupid and naïve to put the condo in his name. Then she had been continually accosted by an older woman. Slightly flattering, it was still unwanted attention. Now the attention of the petite blond pilot with sea green eyes…

Blue eyes flashed open. There it was again. There was simply something about Evie that just would not go away for some reason. The water having cooled and time having slipped by, the flight attendant decided that it was time to get dressed and get something to eat before she returned to her hotel room to snuggle up with a good book. Well, it was a good book. It was just on her electronic reader that she made sure was plugged in.

Triple checking that she had her keycard in the back of her tight fitting blue jeans, Andy made her way down to the lobby. The restaurants in hotels were so expensive, but by the time she paid for a cab or walked in the desert sun, she decided it was worth it just to find a secluded spot and eat alone. She might as well get used to it, not just why she was on the road. Perhaps it was time for a vacation. Perhaps it was time for a visit to her parents in Vegas.

The only problem with that scenario would be telling them about the breakup. Again, her parents simply adored the man. Why, she was not sure. There was the fact that he was a charmer around them even when it was simply talking on the phone together. Still, it might be better than wallowing in her own self-pity. It might be better than having to worry about finding a place to live with the exception that she had to find a place for her sweet Rose.

"This way." The voice of the host brought her out of her sullen thoughts. It would have been nice, for once, to have some happy thoughts. If not happy, at least thoughts that were not so negative all the time. After all, you were supposed to make lemonade when life handed you lemons. The trip took them to the back of the restaurant by way of the bar. Familiar blond locks caught her eyes. Andy found herself pausing for a moment taking in the figure of the woman.

Quickly, she was brought out of her staring by the clearing of the male voice. "Sorry." Her head hung a little as she sat down all alone in the corner. Her mind was on anything but eating. Part of it was on Evie. Part of it was on being homeless. Part of it was wondering how she could have stayed with a man like Brett for so long. Andy put the menu down knowing what she was going to order. It was what she always ordered. It was her routine.

"Is this seat taken?" Andy's head popped up from having been staring at her hands clasped in her lap. There was that sweet voice that she had already come to know and yet only heard it spoken a few times. Not being able to find her voice, the flight attendant motioned with her hand indicating that she wanted her new acquaintance to sit. If she referred to her as a friend, she may never see her again. "I'm sorry if I startled you once again. I saw you sitting here looking lonely and thought I'd offer to be your dinner companion."

Andy had an image flash through her brain. Evie had been at the bar cozying up to a redhead. Had she left the woman for her? If so, why? "I don't want to take you away from your friend." The flight attendant's cheeks were red. She hadn't meant to imply that there was anything going on. And yet, even she could hear the tinge of jealousy that was in her voice. Once again, that was begging the answer to the question, why?

The pilot looked over her shoulder at the bar. The adorable redhead that she had been flirting with was still there. This time her attention was being vied for by a man. Evie shrugged at the thought and turned her attention to her…friend? "She wasn't a friend. And by the looks, she has a chance to make many friends." That got a soft chuckle out of the raven haired woman. That along with the small smile were music to the petite blond's ears. "So, where are you from?"

Evie had not meant to put her friend on the spot but apparently she had used the wrong choice of words. There was a single tear that rolled down the perfectly tanned angular cheek. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she reached across the small table and with the same gentleness and reverence that she would use on her child, she wiped the tear away. Once again, there was a flushing of the taller woman's features. "I'm from Atlanta. But I don't have a home…not anymore."

Thoughts of her son, her co-parent and the large four bedroom loft that they lived in above the bar flashed through her mind. Three of the bedrooms were on one side while the fourth was secluded. At the moment, it was used as a storage room. It could easily be rearranged so that a person could live there. But that was not a possibility, was it? Her new puppy, Trouble, a black and white male Boston Terrier might not take to someone new.

"Well, I'm from Atlanta too." Evie was reaching her hands across the table. "Why don't we enjoy this meal? After we get our bellies full, I might have a proposition for you." The way that could be taken never crossed the pilot's mind. Honestly, she was still attempting to wrap around her own brain how she could be considering offering a place to stay to a virtual stranger. It had to be this affinity that she felt for this woman. It was sexual, but not totally.

Andy was not sure what to make of the petite blond. One moment she could swear she was about to ask her if she'd like to join her back in her hotel room. The next it seemed as if she just wanted to be a friend. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Even with the flight attendant's looks, she was not used to anyone flirting with her. She was not used to having someone look at her the way that Evie had just been looking at her. "Sure."

Both had ordered a chicken salad with ranch dressing. Their meals were consumed with very little chitchat, they really had no idea what to say or do now. Andy remembered what her dinner companion had said, but didn't want to push things. After signing her credit card receipt for the meal, she stood. Evie quickly stood as well. "You're going so soon?" It was clear from the look and the tone of voice that the petite blond was disappointed.

"I don't really have to." Andy glanced at her watch. She still had two more hours before she was to have to attempt sleep. "It's just well…" The flight attendant began to shift her feet. Talking in the taxi and the small talk over dinner was one thing. But to attempt to carry on more of a conversation, she was not sure that she would be able to. Her natural shyness was coming back to her. "I guess I'm just used to being alone, most of the time. But if you'd want…"

Something came over Evie at that moment. She too signed for her meal. Gently, she took a hand of the taller woman. Andy offered no resistance as they made their way back into the hotel. There was silence as they waited at the elevator. There was more silence as they walked to their rooms that were right across from one another. "Come inside with me, just for a moment." When the flight attendant hesitated, the pilot added quickly. "We can prop the door open, if that'll make you more comfortable."

It was becoming second nature for the raven haired woman. There was a blush instantly on her face at just how silly that she was acting. This was another woman. Even if she had thoughts of a romantic nature toward her, Andy was confident that she could handle whatever it was that Evie dished out. "That won't be necessary." They entered the pilot's room. A chuckle escaped from the flight attendant at the disarray of the room.

"Sorry. Only a couple hours and it's a mess. Must run in the family." Andy waited for the pilot to elaborate, but she didn't. The tall woman waded through discarded newspapers, empty bottles of water and dirty clothes and made her way to the tiny table. Cautiously she sat down. It wasn't long before they were seated across from one another. Evie slowly reached out and took both strong larger hands in her own. "This is going to sound really forward and maybe a little weird, but how would you like to move in with me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Andy tripped over the long leg that was half in the aisle way. She was glad that she didn't have a drink cart. It was probably already painful enough having her large feet stumble over the legs. "Pardon me, Sir." The man was older. He had gray at his temples and a mustache. In fact, he looked a lot like her father. Her father had a goatee instead, otherwise they could be twins. "Can I get you anything else? We're about to land."

The man grumbled something. Andy took that as a no. She continued down the aisle way, gathering whatever garbage there was to collect. The flight attendant had been distracted the entire flight. It had caused the time to go quickly, not something she had wanted. Her practiced smile was screwed onto her face tightly. Soon, they would be landing in Atlanta. Her life had changed so much in the past twenty four hours, almost too much to handle.

The flight attendant flashed back to the moment from the previous night that was going to change everything. It was funny how she thought about that moment being life altering. Her boyfriend breaking up with her fell short of a moment when a stranger took a chance and opened up her heart and home to her. She sat down in the rear seat that she was assigned to, buckling her seatbelt. Why she was in the rear again when she had seniority, she had no idea.

The sweet angelic voice rang out in her head. Andy had been sitting in Evie's hotel room. The pilot had taken both of her hands in her own. The feeling was almost electric between them. Then the petite blond spoke words that she had never thought she'd hear from a woman. She especially never thought that her heart would do a flip flop at the thought. If the flight attendant was true to herself, it was because of the woman, not taking a chance on a stranger.

Andy was still attempting to figure out what it was about the woman that was causing her to hesitate in accepting the offer. Even after learning of Evie's situation which entailed a son and the child's father, it wasn't trying to cohabitate with the two males that were giving her pause. It was only the pilot that was giving her pause. They had talked into the night, falling asleep on the bed together. When the wakeup call had come in, the petite blond was snuggled up to her shoulder, an arm draped across the raven haired woman's stomach.

That was what was giving her pause. The dreams that the flight attendant had that night were the kind that she had never had before. No person had ever stimulated her to have a sexual fantasy. There were no celebrities. There was no one in her teenage years. There was definitely no one in her adult years. Yet, Andy had found herself quite aroused when she had awakened. It was a combination of her dreams of the petite blond and the nearness of the pilot.

The raven haired woman felt the airplane banking. She knew who was at the controls. Evie was up there waiting patiently for an answer that she was not sure that she could give. At this point, it was either take her new acquaintance up on the offer or get a cheap motel that accepted cats until she could find a place on her own. The likelihood of finding something within a month or two was very slim, unless she wanted to settle for something on the wrong side of the tracks.

Andy shivered at the prospect. The angelic voice was floating through the aircraft, seeming to aim for the flight attendant. It was like Evie could simply caress her with her voice. Though it was just the usual instructions of landing, the current temperature in Atlanta and the wish of flying with The Friendly Skies once again, it still seemed that it was for her ears only. The raven head shook at the thought as well as a sigh escaped her.

The airplane landed far too quickly. It wasn't long before they were taxiing to the gate. Time was still moving like it was hyped up on caffeine. Though she wasn't required to, Andy helped the next crew get the airplane ready before disembarking. Her first thought was to go to the employee lounge. She was supposed to meet Evie at the long term parking. The pilot had said she had a ride for them. It would save cab fare, but the flight attendant was simply nervous.

Finally, Andy reached deep down inside her for a courage she hadn't had since she was ten. No, not even then had she had any confidence. Something happened the year she turned ten. What, she just could not get her mind around it. Perhaps there were too many things occupying it. There were two main things. One was the connection she felt to Evie. The second was freely admitting to herself for the first time that she never knew who she was.

Self-discovery was something that she was encouraged to do by her mother. Now, she was going to have the time. Was she going to have the courage? One step at a time as she chastised herself as she slowly snaked her way through the crowd of the airport. She had thought it wouldn't be quite so busy at six on a Sunday night but she was wrong. Her height gave her the advantage and she saw her prey by the employee exit. _Prey? Oh what is happening to you Andy?_

When Andy saw the brilliant smile that caused the nose to crinkle, all thought went out of her head for several moments. _You are in trouble._ A sad smile formed on the flight attendant's face. _Just start thinking her of a friend. That will make this situation go away._ With that thought, the raven haired woman had a renewed confidence. Still, the green eyes were dangerous. They were probably even more dangerous than the curves under the oversized pilot's uniform.

"Thought you had changed your mind about me giving you a ride." Evie's smile never for a second left her face. Andy managed a shake of her head. The flight attendant was not sure she could trust her voice at the moment. "Your chariot awaits, my dear." The pilot felt at ease with the taller woman. At first, she had been terrified of the connection she felt. Now, she just felt it was something she had been looking for, but hadn't realized it. It came to her as she held her new friend as she slept.

Evie would not deny that she was attracted to her new friend. To her, it wouldn't have mattered if she was straight. Andy was a gorgeous woman and anyone not admitting attracted, at least on some level, was kidding themselves. That being said, the flight attendant represented something for the pilot that she had not had since she was in grade school. The petite blond had always been honest about who she was since she was twelve.

Coming out was never easy for anyone. Coming out when you were in foster care and living in a conservative area was that much more difficult. The petite blond had lost almost all of her friends. She had lost all of her female friends. Either they had ended their friendship when they had learned that she was a lesbian or their conservative parents had forced them to. Either way, it had left a very lonely young girl growing up.

So what was it that her new friend represented to her? For the first time since she was twelve, Evie had the chance to have a female friend. With the physical attraction she felt for Andy, it wasn't going to be easy. But the woman seemed lost. For some reason, this made the pilot want even more to help her out. There was a desire that was ten times stronger than her physical attraction to make the younger woman happy. In return, the petite blond would get a true friend.

A smile was upon the brunette's face as it lit up when she saw exactly what her chariot entailed. The flight attendant took the offered helmet as her carryon bag was taken from her other hand. Her bag, along with the pilot's, was stowed in the medium-sized storage unit on the back of the sleek red motorcycle. "You're never going to believe this, but I have one almost exactly like this." Green eyes twinkled at her. "Mine is a little bigger and it's metallic blue. It almost looks purple in the sunlight."

"See, we do have things in common besides the friendly skies." Evie chastised herself for wanting to ask if they also were both members of the mile high club. The pilot was a member several times over. She was grateful when the silver shades covered her eyes hiding the desired laden eyes. Hopefully the rosy cheeks could be explained by the slight chill in the air. "I want you to at least come by and see the apartment before you finally tell me no and I take you wherever you want to go. Also, you have to meet the big guys."

That was part of what was holding back Andy from accepting the gracious offer. It was one thing if Evie was on her own. But the pilot, and therefore the flight attendant had to consider that there was a child and a grown man to consider. Had the petite blond even asked what they thought about the situation? After all, she had learned that tomorrow was the birthday of the boy. He was going to be ten, an impressionable age. "I don't know."

By now, Evie was straddling the motorcycle. The tall raven haired woman was looking longingly at where her carryon was now being held hostage. The pilot was not sure why this woman was being so hesitant. _Is it because I'm gay? I thought we settled this last night. I might have a strong libido, but I can control it. I want a friend. I need a friend. I didn't realize how much until getting to talk to you last night. Maybe the breakup is making her raw._

The petite blond was mentally cursing herself. She had wanted this friendship so badly, if only to prove that she could have a simple friendship with another woman that she had forgotten what her friend was truly going through. A sad smile and a deep sigh escaped the pilot. Still, she could at least offer a late supper and maybe one night in the apartment. "Look, just come and look at the place. The offer to at least stay the night if not for a while will be there. What else have you got to do? Besides get your pussy."

At first Andy was unaware of the attempted humor. Her eyes had still been staring, wondering how she could get the carryon back. The words hit her and she looked into mischievous green eyes. There was a smile upon her face once again. Taking a breath and deciding to take a chance for once in her life, the flight attendant settled herself behind the petite woman. Her long arms wrapped around the small waist like they belonged there. "Can we get Rose first?"

The blond head was already turned so that the huge smile was not seen. "Hold on!" was shouted over the roar of the motorcycle's engine. Andy had to tell her new acquaintance directions from time to time. As it turned out, they only lived about four miles away. Still, it was like they lived on opposite sides of Atlanta. The flight attendant lived where there was nothing but fancy condominiums. Evie wondered how a flight attendant could afford one of the houses, but thought it none of her business.

They came to the end of the cul-de-sac. It was the smallest of the condos. It was still quite impressive. Andy reluctantly got off the machine, stretching her tall frame. While she had loved to have her arms wrapped around the petite blond, it hadn't helped her back any. The flight attendant took off her helmet and handed it to the pilot. "I don't know if you want to wait here come with me. If Brett is home, this could get ugly."

Evie took the helmet and put it back in the side storage. Without thinking, the petite blond reached up and placed a hand on a strong shoulder. "Hey, what are friends for?" When she felt the woman stiffen under her touch, quickly she pulled the offending hand away. If only she had known it was not the touch that had caused the taller woman to stiffen. It was the words, one word in particular that still terrified the raven haired woman.

The flight attendant caught the hurt look upon the blond woman's face. While wanting to get the possible confrontation with Brett over with, she hated the look upon the slightly older woman's face. "I appreciate all that you are doing. Even if I choose not to stay with you, you've been better to me than anyone ever in my life outside of my parents." Andy waited until the pilot lifted her head so that they were looking into one another's eyes.

It seemed that no words needed to be spoken. Andy hoped that between her words and her smile that Evie would at least begin to understand. At some point, if they were to remain acquaintances she was going to have to sit down and explain why it was that she just couldn't accept that anyone was her friend. Or if she began to call them friend, they left her alone with Brett. Once there was a smile upon the petite blond's face, they made their way up the driveway.

Andy made her way to the garage. Her motorcycle was covered in the back. Brett's Ford Explorer that she paid for was missing. She hoped that he was off somewhere, most likely trying to line up his next meal ticket. "Looks like Brett isn't here." She took in the green eyes that were full of venom at the mention of her ex's name. "I know. That's such a disappointment." That got a soft chuckle out of the petite blond. They continued slowly up the walk to the front door.

Before the tall woman could get her key in the lock, the door was opened. The air was pungent with stale beer, sweat and body order. Looking at the unshaven face of her ex, it was obvious that Brett was not taking very good care of himself. His dark eyes brightened just a little at seeing Andy standing there. "Babe! You came back!" He made to give the woman a hug, but she took several steps back. Evie was standing between them, arms crossed against her chest in an instant.

Not sure how it happened, Andy found her hands on either shoulder of the small woman attempting to protect her. Somehow this felt…right to the flight attendant. Not so much that Evie was attempting to protect her. It was just that it seemed that both had done this for the other before. The flight attendant pushed the feeling away, deciding she needed to address her ex. "I'm not back. In fact, I've just come for Rose and my few things. Unless you already have them in storage."

The medium sized man stood in the middle of the doorway. He glanced over his shoulder knowing that he would have to let her in eventually, if only to get rid of that damned cat. "But I thought you had come back to me." Brett was seeing dollar signs when he looked at the raven haired woman. The fact that they had been together for so long meant nothing to him. All that mattered was he would have to find someone else to support him, a task already proving difficult.

"Hardly." It was a single word. And yet, it was stronger than any that she had ever spoken to Brett. She had always given in to him rather easily. She had always done what he had wanted. When it was something she had wanted, like kids, he had easily said no. "I just want my cat and my things." Andy found herself standing closer to the petite blond. At this point, there was barely enough room between them for the slight breeze to pass.

Brett made another move like he was going to grab Andy's arm, even with the petite blond still standing between them. In a lightning quick move, the pilot had grabbed the man by the arm and had flipped him on his back. For good measure, she stomped on his manly parts. "I think the Little Lady said that she just wanted to get her precious cat and her things. Do you think that you can manage to let her do that or do I have to get really rough?"

Evie still had a strong grip on the man's arm, twisting it slightly. All those years of self-defense classes were coming in quite handy. The fact that she was a little smaller than your average person usually caused people to underestimate her. Blue eyes met green for a moment. There was awe and gratefulness in the eyes that were almost the color of the sky. No, they were even more amazing than looking up into a cloudless summer sky.

For a moment, Andy was stunned watching her new…nope…still too afraid even in her mind to think of Evie as anything but an acquaintance. Perhaps she was becoming a close acquaintance, but not a friend. "I'll go gather everything. Do you want me to call your friend?" The petite blond smiled like she was having the time of her life and shook her head 'no'. "I'll hurry." It wasn't only ten minutes later that the flight attendant came back with a cat carrier and a tiny suitcase. "This is everything."

Green eyes were wide seeing the meager possessions that her friend had. _You can't be serious. That's all that you have to your name? Wow. Gonna have to work on that. Slowly, Evie. Don't want to scare her off._ "Well, it should fit in your motorcycle, though what about Rose?" Brett was beginning to sober, Evie could tell because his strength was slowly returning. She knew that she was not going to be able to hold him much longer. In fact, she was surprised no one had come to see what was going on or called the cops.

"Rose can fit in the top basket. I can tie the suitcase to the back. I've done it before." Andy had indeed done it. It went back to the one time when she had caught Brett cheating. She had managed to get to the point where she had the strength to leave him for the night. With purpose, she had packed her things and Rose up. It had taken a minute to figure out how to get the kitty safe and somewhat comfortable.

Of course Evie was more than curious as to when it was that her friend had done it before, but she was not about to ask questions. Actually, she very much was someone that was into asking questions. It was just that they needed to get away from the man. He was already beginning to curse softly. Soon, it would get loud. The scene from the airport flashed in the blond's mind. "Get everything set to go. I don't know how much longer Brett here will stay and be good."

That got a soft smile on the flight attendant's face. Hastily, she made her way into the garage through the side door. It wasn't long before the automatic door was opening. Andy was wearing a helmet that matched the motorcycle. It was rather beat up though. More thoughts were running through the petite blond's head about things she could do for her new friend. Once the engine roared to life, Evie released her prisoner and ran to her motorcycle.

Not bothering to put on the helmet, Evie took off down the road. The second stop sign that they came to, she pulled up beside the taller woman. The distinct meows could be heard even over the idling twin engines. The blond strapped on her helmet, giving her friend a wink before putting her silver shades back on. "Hope you and that rust bucket can keep up with me. Tag, you're it." With that, the red motorcycle took off down the road.

Andy chuckled softly, not hesitating for a moment to chase after the petite blond. They either rode with Evie in the lead or side by side. The four miles was eaten up quickly by the twin motorcycles. There had been yelling as they rode off. In the side mirror, the raven haired woman had caught a glimpse of her ex. He had been laboring to run. It wasn't long before the man had collapsed to the ground. The compassionate part of her had wanted to see if he was ok.

But the part that had seen the woman in bed, the part that knew that he had sold off all of her things of value and the part of her that was trying to become her own person had forced her to catch up to the petite blond. Would Andy tell the pilot that all of her jewelry was gone? It was only the cheaper pieces. The ones of value, monetary and with sentiment were locked away at her bank in a safety deposit box. Another one of her very few wise decisions.

The raven haired woman pulled into the parking lot of the bar. It actually looked like an ordinary bar. Even the name was generic. 'J.E.D's Bar' never even gave hint that it was a gay bar. Of course, Andy had never been to a gay bar. In fact, she was only an occasional drinker and rarely went to a bar. Every once in a while she enjoyed a cold beer with dinner, especially if it was a special occasion. She followed the pilot around back to where a small garage was.

In fact, it looked like at one time that it had been a working repair shop. There was plenty of room for both motorcycles and a SUV. Andy watched for a moment as Evie quickly got off her motorcycle and took care of her helmet and sunglasses. The flight attendant was a bit slower. She was still not sure what to expect when it came to her welcome from the man that the pilot was sharing her life with. And though she wanted children, the raven haired woman was terrified of the young boy's reaction to her.

Evie noticed the nervousness that seemed to be emanating off of her friend in waves. There could be several reasons for that. There was meeting two strangers, one of a younger age. There was starting over. The petite blond hoped that it was not because of her and the fact that she was a lesbian. During their chats, it was one of the first things that she had told Andy. After all, if they were going to live together that was one of the first things she should know.

The pilot also wondered how her son would react to the situation. While she was a woman that liked a different flavor every time with one or two exceptions, she would not bring them home. Her rule was to either have her 'sleepovers' at the woman's place or at a cheap motel. The last thing that she wanted was to give her son the impression that it was all right to do what she did. Plus, he was confused enough when it came to his parents sleeping in separate bedrooms.

That had been a tough one to explain to her son. Finally she had told him that, while his parents loved one another, they were not in love with one another. To be married and sleep in the same bedroom, two people had to be in love. Evie wasn't sure if her son understood what she had been trying to say. It was the best she could come up with at the time. Now, she was breaking her cardinal rule. Of course, Andy was just a friend so it didn't count. Did it?

Evie glanced at her watch. "Well, looks like we timed things perfectly. JL should have dinner waiting for us." Andy quickly got in step with the petite blond. In one hand she had Rose and the other was her suitcase. The pilot had both of their carryon bags in one hand. "If you end up staying here, I'll have to get you the code." The petite blond made quick work of entering the eight digits before she put the key in the lock. "One thing you should know, DJ can be a bit energetic. I don't know where he gets it from."

The wink that Evie gave her almost caused the raven haired woman to get left behind. Andy just barely caught the door before it closed. There was definitely something about the petite blond. The flight attendant was trying to figure out if it was just her natural flirty personality or if it was specifically aimed at her. In a way, it was flattering. No one, especially not Brett had treated her with such…She couldn't even come up with the word to describe it.

The hallway was narrow. The steps were small. It made it difficult to climb with her larger feet. But it was well lit so Andy was sure that it was safe. The scents of something spicy hit her full force. The flight attendant usually just had salad for lunch and a sandwich for dinner if only to maintain her weight. Brett kept telling her she was letting herself go. This smelled like restaurant quality food. Involuntarily, her mouth began to water. The angelic voice she was getting very used to sang out. "Boys, come and help the ladies."

There were the obvious sounds of feet scuffling overhead. The flight attendant sucked in a breath before taking the last few steps into the loft. What she saw was more than impressive. One whole wall was lined with a huge screen television. It had to be over sixty inches. On either side were speakers. On one side was one of the best stereo systems that she had ever seen. On the other side appeared to be shelves and shelves of dvd's or cd's.

The next wall was simply windows. They were from the floor to the ceiling. They appeared to be tinted and the evening sun just barely floated in. Along the third wall was impressive exercise equipment from an exercise bike, treadmill and some weights. There was a sectional couch that wrapped around the room. In front of it was a heavy mahogany coffee table. The floor plan was open and it moved directly into the dining room that had a large mahogany table with six matching chairs. The kitchen was state of the art from the six burner stove to the microwave to the built-in refrigerator.

"Andy." Evie was waving a hand in front of her face attempting to get her attention. The flight attendant blushed furiously. The pilot smiled sweetly. Once again, the petite blond was feeling just how much this tall woman affected her. No one made her feel at peace and frustrated at the same time. "I was just trying to introduce you to the boys. The big punk is Jarod Little, better known as JL. And this little monkey is Dustin Jarod. Only I get away with calling him DJ."

There was a scowl on the boy's face at the nickname. The blond haired blue eyed boy really did look like a combination of his parents. He was already almost up to his mother's shoulders. It was clear he was going to be tall like his father. JL actually towered a little over Andy at about six foot five. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes that were so much like the boys. It took a moment for the flight attendant to find her voice. "Why hello good looking. Both of you are so adorable."

That got an identical scowl on the males in the room which caused a gale of laughter to emit from the petite woman. She reached out and ruffled the hair that was blond like hers. "Why don't you go wash up for dinner while I get Andy settled?" Suddenly very serious, the petite blond knelt down so that her son actually had to look down slightly. "This is all right. I know we talked on the phone. But it is ok that my friend stays here."

DJ looked over his mother's head at the tall woman standing there. Her eyes were the same shade as his causing him to smile. She was almost as tall as his daddy and he liked that too. Though it meant another girl in the apartment, something was telling the little boy that his mother's new friend could be a friend of his as well. "She looks really nice and cool and all. As long as she doesn't hog the bathroom like you do." He took off toward said room screeching to a halt on the hardwood floor. "And I hope that she plays video games better than you do!"

With that, the boy disappeared into the bathroom. Evie was shaking her head. "They grow up so fast." She motioned with her blond head in the opposite direction that her son had disappeared. "I remember when he only wanted me to read him a story. Now, he wants me to pound zombies with him." The pilot shrugged and then let out another small bit of laughter. "You'll be staying down here. It's the quietest part of the loft."

Andy was silent, still unsure of what she was supposed to be feeling. She was definitely unsure of what she should be saying, besides a huge thank you. It seemed between the pilot and the bar owner, they did all right for themselves. Still, this was their home and they were allowing a perfect stranger to stay there. Not many people would do what they were doing. And that caused the flight attendant's heart to swell once again.

In fact, Andy was having trouble keeping the tears that were threatening to fall from doing just that. She swallowed hard a couple times as she followed the petite blond. A decent sized bathroom was across from her bedroom. "You'll have that all to yourself so feel free to make it yours, just like your bedroom. I want you happy here. I want you comfortable here." The angelic voice was lulling the flight attendant and the tears seemed to slowly recede.

Andy took in the room. Even with the clutter of boxes, crates and a few wooden chests, it still was the biggest bedroom she'd ever seen. There was a king size bed at one end of the room. On either side was a nightstand with matching lamps. There was a bookshelf in the corner. There weren't that many books, which disappointed the flight attendant a little. Of course, all of her books were now ebooks. It just made it easier with all the travel that she did.

"This is amazing." There was the sudden barking. From out of nowhere, it seemed there was this small black and white puppy. He sniffed the carrier in Andy's hand and sneezed. Instead of barking, he began to wag his butt. The Boston Terrier had such a small tail that his whole bottom wiggled when he was happy. To the flight attendant's amazement, she heard purring instead of hissing coming from the carrier. "Rose, I believe this is Trouble."

With the last word spoken, two somewhat floppy ears perked up. The three month old puppy looked up at the tall woman and smiled. It was then that Andy noticed that one eye was blue while the other was brown. Though he was smiling and wagging his butt, the flight attendant slowly knelt down. Slowly, she reached out and allowed the puppy to sniff her hand. There was one little grr before the puppy began to lick her hand with abandon.

"Well, you've won over one of the males of the house. Now there are just two others for you to win over." Evie came up and gave the elbow of her friend an affectionate squeeze. "To tell you the truth, my son is a big flirt. He fell in love with you the minute he saw you." _Just like his mother._ The thought caused the petite blond to pale considerably. Being who she was, she recovered easily. "The poor boy takes after me. You'll see if you stick around long enough. I'll let you get settled in."

One moment it seemed that Evie was planning on her staying forever. The next, she was giving her an out. Andy watched the door close, the puppy making it known he wanted to stay and play with his two new friends. With the door shut, the flight attendant made her way to the bed. She sat her small suitcase upon it. Opening it, there was only a hastily cleaned litter box, a small bag of litter, a food and water dish along with a small bag of cat food.

After setting Rose up with the essentials in the far corner, she let her orange-red cat out of her confines. Just like the princess that she thought she was, the kitten stretched and rubbed her back along the top of the carrier. Sniffing a few times, the fluff ball made her way around the room. Happily she found her food and began to munch away. Quickly, Andy took the water bowl and procured some water from her bathroom sink.

Andy was cursing herself for having left her spare flight attendant uniform at the condo. It was a hassle to procure a new one. The flight attendant sat on the edge of the king sized bed, watching as Rose munched away contentedly. She pulled out her cell phone and made the first phone call. This one would be easy as she order three new uniforms. The second was to make sure that her credit cards had not been used as of late.

The raven haired woman let out a relieved breath. It had been smart to cancel the credit cards in Brett's name while she and the pilot had spoken in Phoenix. There was a charge or two, but they were minimal. The flight attendant allowed herself to fall back on the bed. The next phone call was not going to be easy. The next phone call was the one that she had put off. Why? Because her parents, especially her mother, seemed to be in love with her ex.

Even if she could say the same thing, Andy was done with him. If she could ever be honest with herself, it should have been that day long ago. Frustrated at fixating on the day, the flight attendant had enough evidence now to justify her leaving. The fact that everything that she owned had most likely been sold off should have indicated to anyone what a lowlife her ex was. She wondered if the Ford Explorer had met the same fate as everything else. It was surprising that he hadn't tried to sell off Rose.

Rose finally was finished stuffing herself, decided it was time that her human paid attention to her. Andy tripped over her before she gathered a change of clothing. Luckily, she always packed extra clothes. After all, what she had in her carryon was all she had left to her name. The brunette made quick work of taking a shower. She waved at DJ as he watched her cross the hallway. The boy's smile was so much like his mother's; it really could light up a room.

Andy made her way back to her new, albeit temporary room. Stalling some more, she made sure that her ereader was plugged in and had the cord ready for her cell phone. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the familiar number. There was a hesitation on her part when she heard her mother's cheery voice. Though there was no reason to hesitate as her mother went on and on. Finally, her mother took a breath.

The flight attendant decided that it was now or never. Rose decided to curl up on her chest as she was now lying on her back on the bed, expecting the worst. "Mom, Brett and I broke up." She cringed when the question she figured was coming did. "I did nothing wrong, Mom. In fact, I've never done anything wrong." The voice was sad coming through the phone. In that instant, Andy knew why. "He already called you, didn't he?"

The confirmation caused a low growl to escape from the tall woman. Not only was she living someone else's life, she had several puppet masters it seemed. If it wasn't Brett that was trying to control her life, it was her parents. The next thing you knew, either of her brothers would call and want something from her. She should be angry. Really, she should be angry. But all she was…there were no words for how she was feeling. Perhaps numb would be a good word.

There was stinging in the corners of her eyes as her mother continued her verbal assault. Andy would be damned if she was going to cry over a man that had used her for the past seven years. He had only been in the relationship to get what he could out of her. It was surprising that he hadn't attempted to syphon blood while she was sleeping and sell it somehow. That reminded her, she needed to get tested. They hadn't been intimate in months, but knowing his past, it would be wise.

"Mother, I'm fine." The terse response was more than she could handle. The tears were stinging too much. She had to let them go. "You think what you want to. I'm telling you, YOUR DAUGHTER is telling you that I'm the one that was hurt. I'm the one that has been treated unfairly. Yet you think that Brett hung the moon." There were some apologetic words, but more of defending the man. "Enough, Mother. I have to go. I'll e-mail or text you with my new address. Goodbye."

The words echoed in her mind. _How could you let a prize catch like him get away? Why did you leave him with all the bills to pay? You should stay with him and have kids like you planned on. He wants the same things you do. It's time that you found your soulmate and settled down._ Andy was now sick to her stomach. Carefully, she sat up extricating herself from Rose in the process. The kitten purred at her touch until she realized she was not going to get her pets. Her thoughts were too loud in her head. "I'm all alone."

There was a sound at the door. Evie hadn't meant to overhear. In fact, she had just that moment gotten there to let her new friend know that dinner was indeed ready. Her hand was still in mid knock when she heard the words uttered. Instantly, her heart was hurting. She knew how that felt. Growing up without her parents and no siblings, foster care was a dark and lonely place sometimes. It was until the Graysons took her in that her life turned around. With them, she had found unconditional love.

That was what she was going to offer her new friend. Hopefully, Andy would accept her friendship and the unconditional support that went with it. Love was something that Evie was only sure that she could offer her son and his father. Not that she didn't have some kind of love already for the flight attendant; it was just that her heart was not ready to attempt to love once again. The pilot gently rapped on the door.

When there was no response, slowly Evie opened the door. Andy was curled up in a ball. Her hair was still damp from the shower that she had taken. Her robe was partially open, exposing one darkened circle but not the nipple. The pilot's body had the natural response and her mouth went dry. As the petite blond slowly made her way across the bedroom to her new friend, her womanhood pulsed in time with her breathing.

Cautiously, Evie sat on the edge of the bed. The raven haired beauty was in the middle of the large bed. A shaky hand reached out. At that moment, Andy decided to roll over. The robe came fully open. The pilot tried to hide it, but she suffered from a sharp intake of breath at the site before her. Even the normally covered skin seemed to have a natural bronze to it. The petite blond had thought that it was just a tan from living in the south, but no. It was an all-natural tan.

Evie felt the warmth of the skin through her thin cotton t-shirt that she had put on. Though it was cooler outside, she preferred a sleeveless shirt, a-shirt or t-shirt. Right now, it was coming back to haunt her a great deal. The sobs that were racking the body put the feeling out of her mind. All that the pilot wanted to do was to comfort this woman. There was an indescribable pain that she was going through. If only she could come to trust her enough to confide in her.

"Hey." Evie found herself patting the terry cloth covered back. "It's all right." That got a choking sound out of the slightly younger woman. "Listen to me." That seemed to bring the breathing back to some semblance of normalcy. "I know that you have been through more than your fair share in the past twenty four hours or so. I'm sorry that you are having to go through this." Not sure what to say, she tightened her grip on the raven haired woman.

"You don't understand." Finally, the sobs were only slight little tremors that were flowing through the long body. "I just told my mom that I broke up with Brett." She hiccupped at that moment causing her to pause for a moment swallowing air desperately. Blue eyes closed tight, not wanting to repeat the words. But it was the only way to make her understand. "He called her first. My parents believe that I'm the one that left him. They don't agree with what I've done. They told me not to visit until I come to my senses. So you see, I am alone."

Evie pulled away, surprised when her eyes didn't immediately attempt to take in the treasures before her. The angelic voice took on an even softer, more loving tone. It caused the flight attendant to shiver. "We may have only met yesterday at this time." A smile to the memory of the morning that she had awakened to strong arms wrapped around her formed on her face. "And really, we are just strangers. But there's something you need to know right now. You are not alone. As long as I'm alive, you'll never be alone again."


	3. Chapter 3

Andy awoke with a jerk. She looked around the unfamiliar room attempting to gain her bearings. Being a flight attendant, this happened to her on occasion. Though the airline used the same hotels, it was still sometimes disconcerting waking up all by herself in a strange place. When she felt the gentle purr that was emanating from her kitten, she knew that she was in Atlanta at the very least. Now, if she could only remember where she was.

That was when the previous evening came flooding back to her. She had flown in from Chicago. Evie had been the pilot and had offered to give her a ride, if not a place to live. The confrontation with Brett came flooding back to her along with the words that he mother had said to her. Fresh tears were at the corners of her eyes when she remembered the other thing that had happened the previous evening. The pilot had held her and told her that she never had to be alone again.

The feelings that woman brought to the tall raven haired woman were like none other that she had ever felt. Evie was like no one that she had ever met. There was a spirit about her that seemed like it would be hard to tame. One thing she had learned after the previous night was just how loyal her new friend could be. Apparently one of her son's friends had cancelled going to the zoo for his birthday. The way the pilot had gone on, it made the flight attendant smile.

Her smile quickly faded as she remembered that she had only one more outfit to wear. It was one thing to sell her jewelry and some of her knickknacks, but to have sold or gotten rid of her clothes? To top it off, he had claimed that he wanted her back once again. Andy sighed at the thought of the man that she had wasted too many years upon. The tall woman stretched, laughing when her little fur ball vocally protested the move. "Well excuse me but some of us have to actually use soap and water to bathe. Be right back my sweet Rose."

Andy checked the kitten's food and water dishes as well as cleaned out the litter box before making her way to the bathroom. The loft seemed quiet. There were no sounds coming from the other end. There were no signs of breakfast such as coffee. It suited the raven haired woman that way. Solitude was something that she had never gotten growing up. Two brothers, all around her age and it made for a full house. Brett would be clingy one minute and distant the next.

Her main solitude came when she was staying alone at the hotels. For some reason, no one had ever friended her. She had acquaintances that she had made over the years. On occasion, they had even gotten a drink or had dinner together. Mostly, it was just the raven haired woman, takeout and a good book. Part of her still wanted it that way. Part of her wanted to invest more of herself in Evie's life. For the first time in a long time, the flight attendant was torn.

The spray of the water felt good on her scalp. It was one thing that Andy suffered from, that was migraines. Her doctor had said it was from all the constant travel. Different elevations on the ground and so much time spent up in the air. The flight attendant doubted that and was meaning to get a second opinion. Until now, she had never had the time. She was always so busy cleaning the house. After all, Brett could not be bothered to do woman's work.

Not wanting to use up the hot water, though the massaging felt amazing, Andy reluctantly shut the water off. The raven haired woman stood staring at the fuzzy image reflecting back to her from the steam covered mirror. It sadly seemed fitting that was the way that she would see herself. It had been many years since she knew the 'real' her. A sigh escaped the raven haired woman as she dried her hair. Deciding for once to leave it free flowing, she made her way back into her bedroom.

Andy had just gotten her shorts pulled on when there was a soft knock on the door. "Just a minute." Quickly she finished dressing. She was glad that, though the temperatures were cooling off now, it was still warm enough to justify the black shorts and the royal blue sleeveless T-shirt. "Come on in." She wasn't surprised to see her new close acquaintance there. Evie was looking good in red shorts and a black A-shirt. "I didn't know anyone else was up."

The petite blond made her way into the room like she owned it. That was partially true. She and JL each owned fifty percent of the bar and the building it was housed in. They both also owned the garage out back. There were a few other minor properties that the pilot owned. "I'm usually up with the sun unless I have a late night." The emerald eyes were sparkling as she took in the sight before her. "I just wanted to stop by and let you know that breakfast will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

The raven haired woman smiled, not sure what she was supposed to say or do as Brett usually spoke for her or told her what to do. Not having been a guest in anyone's home since she was a teenager, she was still at a loss for words. Still, the ever polite person decided that she had to say something. "Thanks. I'm not real big on breakfast. Besides, I need to keep losing weight." Andy never saw the look that her comment garnered from the feisty petite blond. "Usually just a bowl of fruit or some yogurt."

Evie raked her eyes up and down the tall form that was her friend. While always present, the petite blond shoved the lesbian side of her away and took an objective view of the raven haired woman. The petite blond sauntered over to her friend. Though she was fully clothed now, the pilot had vivid memories and the sensation of a half-naked Andy pressed against her body. Ribs were prominent. "If anything, you look underweight. I think it's time that JL got a hold of you and put some meat on your bones."

The flight attendant blushed. She wasn't sure if it was because of the open way that her close acquaintance was perusing her body or the kind words. That was something she was not sure that she was ever going to get used to hearing from anyone. Not even her parents had been free with the compliments other than her mother wanting her to be in the beauty pageants. That could be because of her own mother's dreams as a teenager never being fulfilled.

At that moment, a little barking black and white ball of energy came into the room. The puppy looked from his master to the new friend he had been denied properly getting to know the night before. He came up and began licking the bare legs of the raven haired woman. _I'd love to be Trouble right now._ The pilot instantly chastised herself for the naughty thoughts. Before she could say anything, the small dog had somehow managed to jump up on the tall bed. The kitten and puppy began to play like they were old friends.

"Not too rough." Andy picked up her little fluff ball. A stray nail had unfortunately caused a yelp out of the rambunctious puppy. She watched as Evie check out the puppy smiling as she did so. "Sorry. I haven't had a chance to trim her nails in a little while. I better do that today. I don't want her scratching Trouble and especially not DJ." The kitten was once again placed upon the bed. The Boston Terrier letting out a playful growl before coming up to rest next to his new friend. "That was fast."

Evie watched her new friend. It was obvious, or so she thought, that Andy wasn't used to being forgiven. How could she see that? There was a sadness in the flight attendant's eyes as well as happiness. It was an odd combination. It was one that she had known up until she had been taken in by the Graysons. "Just like kids for the most part." Their eyes met for a moment. The sadness was even more pronounced and it hit the petite blond in the guts. "Now, why don't we have some breakfast?"

Andy sighed realizing that she was just not going to get out of eating with the family. Finally, she nodded giving in. As she followed the petite blond out into the main part of the apartment, a part that she had only gotten a quick glimpse at the night before, she wondered something. She wondered if they remained in contact if it was always going to be like this. A small smile was on her face wondering if Evie was always going to get what she wanted.

The flight attendant pushed that aside. It was a dangerous thought on many levels. It was dangerous because that meant a long term relationship. That was something that Andy desperately wanted but knew she would never have. The other slightly less dangerous thought that seemed always to come out when it concerned her friend was what was it she wanted exactly? Evie had been upfront about being a lesbian. Would she push for an intimate relationship?

The answer to that question was dangerous as well. What was Andy more afraid of? Was she afraid that one day Evie would want an intimate relationship? Or was she more afraid that she wouldn't want one with the raven haired woman? It was clear in that moment what the answer was. The flight attendant never flinched at the response that she allowed herself to feel. Instead, it gave her a nice warm feeling so deep that it reached her very soul.

Blue eyes blinked open. She had stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. Her mind was so caught up in thoughts that she hadn't heard the petite blond or JL attempting to get her attention. It wasn't until Evie had placed a mug of hot coffee in her hand that she had awakened from her inner musings. Andy sighed. She had never been one to daydream as a child. The closest that she came as an adult was her almost indescribable need to travel, hence her chosen vocation.

"Sorry." Andy smiled sheepishly as she made her way to the table. Evie indicated that she should sit anywhere. The raven haired woman chose the seat that was closest to the entrance, a fact that didn't escape the petite blond. However, the pilot chose not to say anything about it, yet. "It smells good. I'm sorry I was too upset to eat last night. That too smelled wonderful." The flight attendant began to fix her coffee the way she liked it, sweet and blond.

At that thought, Andy looked up into soft green eyes. _I like my coffee just like my pilots._ The flight attendant paled at the thought. If she were willing to admit it to herself, she knew that she was attracted to Evie. The attraction was beyond friendship. Only knowing the pilot now for a couple days, one thing was becoming crystal clear to the raven haired woman. She had never known what attraction was until they had met.

It was the deep robust voice of the bar owner that penetrated the silence that had overcome the breakfast table. "No worries about missing a meal around here. Between me and the pilot, we've got it covered." He looked the strange woman up and down. In the dim light last night, he had not gotten a good look at her. Evie had been right, as usual. Though her clothing was a little loose, it was still obvious that one could actually see the ribs of the tall woman.

"Mom!" The squeal that came from the hallway silenced whatever response Andy was going to say. Instantly, Evie was by her son's side. In fact, she knelt down to his level just like she had when asking if it was all right that her new friend stay. "When are we going to leave? We still have to pick up the gang." The birthday boy was practically ready to take off he was already so hyped up for his special day. "I mean the lines!"

Evie stood and kissed him on the forehead. Instantly he was brushing the kiss away. The green eyes rolled and she let out a soft chuckle. "Well, birthday boy. You have to get some breakfast first. Then we can go and pick everyone up." The boy skipped over to the table and sat down with an audible thud. It was obvious he was only slightly happy with the response. The pilot turned to her new friend. "Are you sure that you don't want to join in the fun?"

Did she? Of course there was a part of her that wanted more than anything if it meant she got to spend time with the petite blond. There was another part of her that was terrified of allowing herself to get that close. No matter the real reason, it was DJ's day and who was a stuffy adult to tagalong. "That's all right. I have some things I need to do now that…" She trailed off not wanting to mention her now defunct relationship.

Blue eyes looked up into green ones, so much understanding being reflected there. It caused Andy's breath to catch for a moment. The petite blond placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Or was it the touch of the pilot? The flight attendant wanted to look away from the intense gaze. But there was something just holding her there. It was as if she was looking into the slightly older woman's soul. Once again, her breath caught for just a moment. Evie released her grip and smiled warmly.

"It's probably for the best." That got a hurt look and a raised eyebrow on the flight attendant's face. Evie leaned close down and whispered in her ear. The hot breath was tickling her senses, but not just the ones of her ear. "I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy the struggle to keep up with seven ten year olds. I would have loved to have help wrangling them, but I understand. If you need help, just give me a call. I'll be there in a jiffy."

Andy smiled gratefully as she managed to break away from the hypnotic feel of the moist breath against her ear. Instead of swallowing hard, she managed to mask her reaction by taking several small sips of her coffee. The beverage was now lukewarm, which suited her just fine. Being so close to Evie had done something to her. Was it simply a reaction to someone being so close? Or was it? Blue eyes had trouble meeting anyone else's during the remainder of the meal.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The wind blowing across her skin and face felt so good. It was invigorating the feeling that riding a motorcycle gave her. She was glad that she and Evie had that in common. It was something either you loved or hated. Andy had loved riding like this since before she could walk. At one time, she had wanted to drive cross country on her motorcycle. But those plans had quickly changed as adult life, more specifically Brett, had pretty much kept that from happening.

The flight attendant pulled into the mall's parking lot, parking and then quickly making her way into the mall. It had been years since she had to do any shopping. She just hoped that she had enough credit left on her credit cards to buy all the things she needed. Starting with the essentials was the most important thing. As she was looking for her store, Victoria's Secret came into view. Normally, she would walk on by an establishment such as that.

The raven haired woman wasn't comfortable entering the store. But what she saw through the window caused her blush. It wasn't at the thought of wearing it. It was because she had images of a certain petite blond wearing them. Andy swallowed hard at the images that were flooding through her mind. They were new to her. Of course her upbringing had something to do with that. It had been religious, not to the point that they went to church every week. Still, the lessons she had been taught stuck with her.

That was a lifetime ago, at least it seemed that way. Andy stared for a moment longer wondering. Not about how Evie would look in the outfit. Her imagination was very good and with her acquaintance wearing short shorts and an A-shirt, it left little to the imagination. "May I help you?" The tall raven haired woman literally jumped back, bumping a little old lady. Luckily she was only knocked off stride. It however garnered a glare.

Andy looked the old lady who also gave her a rude gesture. The raven haired woman shook off the moment and turned back to the small twenty something woman that had caused her moment of embarrassment. "I was just looking. Thanks anyway." Without waiting for an answer and ignoring the calls from the young woman, the flight attendant continued her journey to the store that she had wanted to visit.

Another store caught her eye. Andy made her way through the swarming children, envious of their energy and their enthusiasm for life. It took forever for her to find the right aisle with the hordes taking over each one. It was the holiday and the flight attendant knew that meant throngs of people and children. Still, it would be worth it if she could just find what she was looking for. Finally she found her quarry and took it to the cashier.

It wasn't long before Andy had gotten at least enough items of clothing to live on for a few weeks. Eventually, she would have to come back and get some warmer clothing as it would soon turn from fall to winter. Though in the south the change was not as noticeable as in other parts of the United States or other countries, she still needed to have warmer clothing options. The flight attendant smiled to herself as she lugged the many parcels to her motorcycle, glad she had opted for the extra storage bins.

Now that she had clothing, it was time to do a little bit of business. It had been in the back of her mind ever since she had realized that Brett had sold most of her things. The raven haired woman put on her helmet and sunglasses before waking the resting beast. It wasn't long before the woman was on her way to the bank. Her hope was that most of her expensive jewelry, including an emerald ring she had hoped to give her daughter someday, was safe.

The thought depressed her a little as she made the short trek across the vast city. Something caught her eye and she pulled up to the corner. There was a homeless man selling flowers. Perhaps an abstract thought, she could not help but wonder where he had gotten the wonderful looking flowers. Though she still had several stops to make, she decided to get her fri… acquaintance a bouquet of wild flowers. It just seemed to fit her personality.

With the bouquet tucked safely away, Andy made her way a couple more blocks down and pulled into a parking garage. Slowly she made her way down the sidewalk a couple of doors down until she was standing in front of the towering building that was the main branch of her bank. Slowly, as it seemed her energy was draining, she made her way to the main desk. Once checked in, she made her way to the waiting area to wait for someone to help her.

Andy was thinking about the flowers that she had just purchased. It was simply to say thank you for giving her a place to live. It was that and nothing more. Right? Blue eyes closed. Once again she was reflecting on just how much had happened in just two days. She had broken up with her boyfriend, if you could call him that. Her parents disowned her because they believed him over her. And an angel swooped out of the sky and gave her a place to live.

A huge smile was upon her face thinking about Evie that way. In some ways, the woman was too good to be true. In others, she was just a simple mother trying to do the best that she could to provide a good life for her son. It was an odd situation and yet Andy knew that in the modern world, it was becoming more and more normal. The thought of little DJ warmed the young woman to the core. _He's the son I always wanted._

"Miss Parks?" Andy jumped at the sound of her name. Her heart was racing as she had been so caught up in her inner musings. A sheepish smile was on her face in an instant. To cover, she quickly held out her hand to which the thirty something male took. His grip was not firm, his smile was warm. "I'm Nathan Henderson. I'm in charge of the safety deposit boxes. We need to talk." That was not something that the flight attendant liked to hear. "If you'll follow me."

The raven haired woman stood to her full height which dwarfed the banker. Having been startled out of her inner musings, she hadn't realized that she was nearly a foot taller than the man. His widened eyes indicated that he was surprised as well. The odd looking pair made their way to the vault. "I trust you have your key." Andy produced the key, glad that was one of the things that she took with her wherever she went. Of course now that she was at Evie's, she might not have to do that anymore.

The short man nodded his head. Clearly, he was not comfortable being around such a tall and formidable woman. _If only he knew how I was feeling at this moment. _Andy sighed as they both put their keys in the lock and turned them at the same time. Mr. Henderson set the small safety deposit box on the table. "I'll let you check the contents and then we'll have our chat. Just let my secretary know when you are done."

The flight attendant nodded absently. She knew the routine by now. She'd had the safety deposit box almost from the moment that she had met Brett. Before that, she had kept her jewelry in a lockbox in her condo. Then one day a family heirloom came up missing. It was a large diamond necklace. It was one of those things that had made it through the Civil War and even longer. And of course her parents blamed her for losing such an invaluable keepsake.

The raven haired woman took her time inspecting each piece of jewelry. There weren't many, really. And the value for some was simply sentimental. All of the pieces had been intended be passed down to her children or grandchildren. It looked now like it would be best if she were to turn it over to her twin nieces. In fact, she was going to get in contact with her brother and see if he thought it was too soon for them to have the jewelry seeing they were only six.

Andy sighed in relief as everything was in order. She called out to the woman sitting at the desk. It was only a few moments later when Mr. Henderson made his way into the room. "Everything satisfactory?" A simple nod and the small man was putting the security box back in place. He handed his client her key. "Now, if you'll follow me to my office, we still have to have that chat." It was a long walk even if it was only five paces. The banker pulled out a grainy picture. "This man came here about two weeks ago attempting to get into your safety deposit box."

The flight attendant took the picture. Her head shook. She could not even be surprised that Brett had attempted to steal her jewelry. Instead of crying or being upset, she simply felt numb. The man, she realized now, had always had that effect on her. Just a couple days spent in the company of one Evie Whitmore had made her see just how empty her life was. "I see. Well as of Saturday, this man is my ex-boyfriend, Brett Adams. I'd appreciate it if you'd call the police and me if he ever tries again."

Mr. Henderson was stunned. He had thought that the man was her husband and not boyfriend. There had been a handful of times when the stranger had attempted to gain access. He sighed as he realized just what assuming things could have gotten him. It could have cost him his job if not some trouble with the law. "I'll be sure to inform everyone in the department of the man and leave instructions to do as you ask."

"Thank you." Andy looked at the time. She had hoped to get back to the apartment before Evie and the boys, but this little meeting and stopping for the flowers was taking longer than she had anticipated. Still, there was one more thing she had to do while she was at the bank. Hopefully it was not too late. "Can I speak to an account representative?" When the man began to fidget nervously, the raven haired woman had to internally laugh. "I just need to make some changes."

The small man nodded and made a quick phone call. Without a word, he stood and pointed towards the other end of the vast bank. Andy followed him. She felt like someone was watching her, but when she turned around, she could see no one. They strode in silence to the accounts area where she was seated in front of a frumpy looking older woman. The woman smile sweetly and held out her hand to which the raven haired woman gratefully took. "What can I do for you today?"

"I need to make sure that no one has access to any of my accounts." That got a quizzical look upon the older woman's face. Sighing as she really didn't want to yet again recount why she was doing this, she closed her eyes a moment and thought of Evie. The thought of the pilot gave her some mysterious strength. "Let's just say that things aren't happy at home. I'm not married and his name is not on any of the accounts at this bank, but he attempted to get into my safety deposit box."

"I see." The smile that had been there faded. Instead, a look of concern replaced it. "Well, let's just take a look at your account and any recent activity." The woman's fingers flew across the keyboard. Screen after screen reflected in the lenses of the wire rim glasses that she wore. A small smile was upon her face as she returned her full attention to her client. "Looks like there has been no activity outside of your direct deposits and one withdrawal from an ATM in Phoenix."

Andy sighed in relief. The accounts here had the most money in them. She had only told Brett about the safety deposit box and not about her other accounts here. "Thank you." The tall woman stood wanting nothing more than to get home, even if a hyper ten year old was waiting for her. Once again the thought of DJ warmed her heart. "I trust that no one besides me has access to these accounts?" The woman nodded.

With that, the flight attendant said her goodbyes. As she made her way to the front door, she had that feeling once again. Scanning the busy bank, she shrugged not seeing anyone paying attention to her. Andy was happy as she made her way out of the bank and on her way to the parking garage. Had she turned around, she would have seen a very familiar figure watching her. In fact, that same figure continued to follow her all without her knowledge.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Evie was exhausted. The temperatures had spiked sometime around one. For the beginning of September, it was hotter than normal. Or had it been chasing around after all those ten year olds? Luckily, all of the ones that didn't belong to her were now back safely with their parents. It had been a good day. The petite blond was glad when she had walked into the air conditioned apartment. She'd sent off the boys to get showered and cleaned up while she took Trouble for a walk.

Of course there had been some puppy mistakes to clean up. That was why the young energetic Boston Terrier had been left locked in the bathroom, along with his food, water and toys. It had made for much quicker cleanup. Being back in the heat was not all that pleasant, but it had to be done. Just as she was making her return to the apartment, a familiar figure raced by on her motorcycle bringing a smile to her face. The smile faded when she saw another familiar figure.

The man was on a small scooter and having trouble keeping up with the raven haired woman. Evie picked up her pace, glad when Trouble decided that it was fun to go at the quicker pace. By the time that Andy was pulling into the side alley, the familiar figure was driving off. The petite blond grumbled to herself as she slowed her pace back to a walk. "Come on, Trouble. I think there is trouble in the air," the double meaning causing her nose to crinkle in amusement. Sighing, she made her way through the secured apartment door.

DJ came barreling around the corner practically knocking his mother over. "Can I go play with Trouble?" When the dog wriggled his butt, Evie hadn't the heart to say no. Before she could say anything, the birthday boy continued. "I'll give him some water before I play ball with him." His twinkling blue eyes caught his mother's for the longest time. "Thanks again for today. It was fun." He looked at his shoes before he looked back at her. "I just wish we had more time for fun."

That just about broke the petite blond's heart. She ruffled her son's blond hair. "Thanks, Big Man." A sigh managed to escape her before she was able to recover. "I wish that too. Now, you go on and play. Don't be too loud. I don't know how Andy is feeling." Though they had not spent a lot of time together, Evie had noticed how she was rubbing her temples most of the time. That was something she would discuss with her friend later.

Right now a cold shower was in order for her overheated body. It was overheated for the obvious reason, too many hours in the hot sun. The second reason was seeing Brett outside her bar and her home. The cool water washed over her and instantly she felt more alive. Still, she was pissed off at the man. Of course knowing his type, he was probably possessive of Andy. Even though he was the one that broke it off, he would still come after her.

It worried her slightly that she had put her family in this position. However, the bar, the apartment and the garage all had excellent security systems. During business hours, there were several bouncers that would intimidate anyone. JL by himself was quite the intimidating force. It would be if the man decided to go after Evie and her son that she was concerned. DJ went to a public school. There was security, but it wasn't like in some of the private schools.

Still, she was glad that she had invited Andy to stay with her. The woman was a lost soul trying to find herself. Evie could relate to that. It had happened after the 'great breakup' as JL liked to refer to it still. It had been one shocking scenario. Not only had she caught her girlfriend in bed with a man, a woman had come out of the bathroom. Her ex had always been trying to get her to experiment. While the pilot was extremely creative in bed, there were some things you just didn't do.

Evie shut the water off feeling a little better about everything. Sometimes she just had to talk to herself. Not that everyone didn't think things through; it was different for the pilot. Her mind was like a steel trap. It seemed that she never forgot anything. That was difficult when it came to memories like finding her girlfriend cheating, but other times it was helpful to remember how she felt in certain situations. Gently she toweled off her body and donned her robe.

It was late enough that once again JL was starting dinner. The man could cook like no one else and the pilot smiled at the thought of how lucky she was to have the arrangement that she had with her son's father. They both knew that if either was to find someone else, they either could all share the space or they could find separate apartments. In a way, Evie hoped that would not come true as she truly loved to be with both child and father.

Evie made quick work of getting dressed. Dressed being a relative term as she donned her evening wear. That included a pair of cotton shorts and a spaghetti strapped cotton shirt, all in red. The wild child of the air, as a couple of her new copilots had nicknamed her, made her way to the kitchen. "Smells good as usual. Have you seen Andy?" The man shook his head. "Ok. Well, I'm going to go see how our new roommate is. Plus, I think her ex is following her."

JL could not help the raised eyebrow. He wanted to say something. Going in, he had known about the breakup. And Evie had told him about the confrontation the previous night. Those things had not set well with him. However there were still two things that he realized. First was what Evie wanted, Evie got. Secondly, he hand been in a similar situation when the pilot had found him twelve years ago. His boyfriend had dumped him and they had formed a bond. "We'll have to keep an eye on that, won't we?"

The pilot knew her friend well enough to know that he was struggling. It wasn't on a personal level with Andy. It was on the level that a father would do just about anything to protect his son. She was a mother that felt the same way. "I don't like it any more than you do. But I made a promise to her. I told her she'd never be alone again." That got both eyebrows raised and a nod of reluctant agreement. It was a promise she had not made since she had been cheated on. "Thanks."

There was something between the two and sometimes words were not necessary. This in a way was a good thing, because in general, JL was a man of few words. He watched the mother of his child make her way through the apartment. She stopped for a moment to play with her son and the puppy before continuing down the hallway to where Andy was staying. The big man sighed. _I really hope you know what you are doing. That woman is straight and can break your heart so easily._

It was as if Evie could hear what he was saying as she turned around to look at him. JL had already returned to the chore of cooking. Slowly, she resumed the short journey down the hall. It seemed like she was practically living in the hallway the past few days. Still, it was killing her not knowing how her new friend had spent her first day of freedom. After the soft knock, there was the muffled reply for her to come in.

Evie had had a great line just on the tip of her tongue when she took in the fact that Andy was still busy taking the tags off from her clothes. There was a pile of tags already. The petite blond made her way over to the bed and sat down. She picked up the cotton shirt. It was an amazing shade of blue. The eyes of the flight attendant still made the color pale in comparison. "I take it you were holding out on me." She once again folded the shirt and returned it to the pile.

Andy sighed. Part of her had wanted to tell the petite blond to go away when she had knocked. Another part of her had wanted nothing more than to ask her in and pull her into a hug. It was the third somewhat sensible side that had won out when she allowed Evie to enter her domain. "I guess I did. Sorry. I know you were already feeling sorry for me. I didn't want you…" The room had gone deathly silent besides her voice. When the raven haired woman looked into green eyes, they were on fire.

The pilot had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. There was a frightened look upon Andy's face and she reached out hoping that her friend would not rebuke the touch. A small sigh escaped her as the flight attendant allowed her to gently hold her hand. "Sorry if I'm scaring you. It's not you that I'm mad at. It's not you being here that is upsetting me. It's that pig of your ex that has got me so mad I can barely see straight."

The raven haired woman was at a loss as what to say. Here was this practical stranger once again getting upset because of how her ex was treating her. "You were scaring me a little I must admit." Andy smiled shyly at her…friend. "It's just that I've never had anyone react the way that you do. I mean, you've been nothing but supportive of me, protective even. I should have told you. Brett took everything. I found out today he's even attempted to get into my safety deposit box."

"The prick!" Evie was once again fuming. There was never any doubt that the woman had a temper on her. Usually she was able to keep it in check. But certain situations and certain people got her blood boiling. "That so figures." The short blond locks were tossed from side to side as she shook her head attempting to clear it and to get her anger under control. "If he's willing to steal everything from you it's no surprise he was following you home."

Andy pulled away from her…acquaintance. Just like that she had changed her mind on how she wanted to refer to Evie. If her ex was doing something stupid like following her to the new apartment, what would he do? "I have to find another place to live." The flight attendant forgot about the new clothes, knocking them to the floor. The pilot was just as quick to stand. She watched in wonder as the tall woman went to one of the bags on the floor pulling out a newspaper.

Evie made her way over to the flight attendant and took the newspaper roughly from her hands. Andy was looking anywhere but into those amazing emerald eyes. The newspaper was flung to the floor where a playful Rose decided it was her prey and began to shred it. The pilot laughed at the antics of the kitten. "That's exactly what I wanted to do. I just don't have that sharp of claws. Although if Brett ever comes close to you again, he'll find out how sharp they are when I'm grabbing what he calls his manhood."

When the comment didn't have the reaction that Evie was hoping for, she reached up and gently turned Andy's head. Their eyes met for the longest of times. "Look. I know what you're thinking, at least I think I do. You're afraid of putting me and the boys in danger. Trust me when I say this place is almost like Fort Knox. So is the bar and the garage. It's you I'm worried about. You have to remember something." When she felt the tension release from the strong head, she let got albeit reluctantly. "I made a promise to you that I'm going to keep. You are not alone in this."

Finally, that got Andy smiling. In fact, she pulled a very surprised pilot into a bear hug. In fact, the raven haired woman had to remember to allow her… friend to breathe. Of course part of Evie had not been complaining seeing that it was between the two ample bosoms that her head had been forcefully placed. "Thank you. I've never had a friend, let alone one that is so caring." She thought for a moment. "That's why I got you these."

The pilot watched as Andy made her way to the bookshelf. Evie's eyes widened when she saw the bouquet of flowers. The petite blond had never received flowers from any of her girlfriends. And she had to remind herself of the fact that they were just friends. Still, it was a sweet gesture and one that she appreciated. "Thanks. I think the last time I got flowers was from JL when I was in the hospital just after delivering DJ."

They stood in awkward silence. Andy realized that it might have been the wrong move to get the flowers when the emerald eyes found her sapphire eyes. In that moment, she knew she had done the right thing. She just hoped that she could continue to have the same types of intuitions. "I almost forgot!" The flight attendant made her way to the bed, picking up some of the fallen clothing noticing she was going to need a lint brush. "I got this for DJ. I hope he doesn't have it already."

The petite blond smiled and took Andy by the hand. "Only one way to find out. Be warned, he'll probably want you to spend most of the night playing it. It is a school night so you'll only get stuck until dinner." Evie thought about what she said and stopped just on the other side of the doorway to her friend's room. "That is if you want to. Not everyone likes to shoot the heads off zombies I realize…" She was silenced by a fingertip. A fingertip that would be so easy to taste…

"Let's just give it to him and see." Andy quickly moved her finger away. The softness of the lips along with the breath of the petite blond had done something to her that she was not used to. They walked in silence. The scent of the intoxicating cuisine caused the flight attendant's stomach to growl. She had forgotten to stop and get something to eat. Normally she would have waited for Evie to make the first move, but she felt she and the boy already got along all right. "DJ?" The boy ran up to her, glaring at the use of his nickname. "Sorry. Perhaps if I help you test this out you'll forgive me?"

DJ took the small video game case from the woman. His scream startled all three adults. Andy looked to Evie to see what was going on. That was when the extremely excited boy enveloped the tall woman's legs in a fierce hug, his head resting on her stomach. Not sure what to do, she at first patted his head. As the hug lingered, she put both arms around him and strengthened the hug. "Thanks Andy! Can we play now? Dad says we have at least twenty minutes until dinner."

"Sure. You just lead the way. I'm not very good so you can beat me if you want to." DJ was practically dragging the tall woman across the floor. It wasn't long before the tall woman was sprawled out on the couch. The little boy was snuggled up so close that Andy had to wrap her arm around him. Evie watched, never in a million years thinking she would see what she was seeing. Her son was very selective of the adults he allowed to be his friend and only friends got to play with his video games. _Careful, Evie. This only means he's got a new friend just like you. Emphasis on friend._


	4. Chapter 4

It had been just shy of three weeks since the flight attendant had moved in with the pilot. Evie had loved a few unexpected family moments between the four. However, their schedules had kept them in the air at different times and in different places. They had yet to work the same flight since the big move. It had been only a slight adjustment for all four people. The petite blond was still amazed at how easily her son was accepting this new development in his life. Perhaps it was Andy. She seemed amazing on so many levels.

What was sad was that Andy wouldn't allow herself to see exactly how amazing she was. There were some inner demons that she was battling. It had taken her several days just to believe the fact that Evie and the boys wanted her to stay. There was no time table for her to ever leave. A small part of the pilot hoped that she never left. That was dangerous thinking. That was something she had only thought once about a woman which had ended in heartache for the pilot.

Evie was finding that maintaining simple friendship was one of the most difficult things that she had ever attempted. Motherhood could be difficult at times, but it was also extremely rewarding. Part of her wanted another child. There was still some time though she was now thirty five. Her life was too much of a jumble at the moment. The words of DJ echoed in her mind how he wished they had more time for fun. She sighed at the thought.

Quickly she shoved it and any other serious thoughts from her mind. It was seven at night local time. Her latest assignment had landed her in the beautiful bustling city of Los Angles. Known for the stars and rich lifestyle, she was not after anyone with fame. In fact, she was only after someone that wouldn't mind just a one night stand. The last time that she had had a good time was about a week before she had met Andy. To go that long without was unheard of for the petite blond.

While Andy was not far from her thoughts, Evie was on a mission. Of course the company had set her and the other flight crew up in one of the cheaper airport motels. In some ways, that worked to her advantage. Most of the people that stayed in motels so close to the airport were simply waiting for a connecting flight or one that had been delayed. They were usually bored and also looking for a good time. It had provided her excellent hunting grounds over the years.

The petite blond laughed at the thought. She was quite the tigress in bed that was for sure. Until Andy had come into her life, she had never thought of herself in that manner. Of course, there were a lot of things she was realizing now that the raven haired beauty had entered her life. Never before had Evie allowed herself to realize how lonely she was most of the time. There were her boys, but it wasn't the same. There were her conquests. That was definitely not the same as having someone to truly care about or have them care for you.

A heavy sigh escaped the pilot. She was not used to all these serious thoughts as she prowled a bar. Usually her mind was one track and that was to get the most amazing looking woman back to the other woman's hotel room. That was a rule she was not about to break. While in Atlanta, it was away from the loft because of the boys. On the road, it was in the other woman's room because it meant she could get up and leave anytime that she chose.

A tall leggy raven haired woman caught her eye. The woman was sitting at the bar sipping on an umbrella topped drink. Evie could see her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. There was a striking similarity to Andy. And yet, she was as different as night and day. The cheeks were round instead of chiseled. The eyes were a dark brown. The dark hair was just above shoulder length. The frame was not quite as filled out as was her flight attendant's.

Still, there was something about this strange woman that was calling to her. Evie straightened her shoulders and held her head high as she sauntered up to the bar. She knew that the dark eyes were on her as she kept her green ones fixed on the tall woman's reflection in the mirror. The petite blond added an extra sway to her hips, not that she needed to. The pilot still had on her uniform, something the ladies seemed to love.

A seat had just opened up next to the raven haired woman as the petite blond approached. Her darkened emerald eyes met with the dark brown ones. There was a moment they shared. There was definitely an instant attraction. It was something that Evie picked up on like she had a second gift or something. Yet when it came to Andy, she could not read her. A silent curse as her friend entered her mind. She was the last person she wanted to be thinking about at a time like this.

If she were honest with herself, she knew why it bothered her so. Evie was still trying so hard to maintain the friendship that sometimes she forgot just how attractive the tall flight attendant was. Once again, she pushed every thought of Andy out of her mind, at least as best as she could. "Hi." The petite blond never waited for a response. She simply sat down. The raven haired woman never spoke only nodded her head in greeting. "Scotch on the rocks."

That got a dark eyebrow raised. The woman was dressed in a dark purple pantsuit outfit. It was obvious that she was a well-traveled business woman. The briefcase at her feet was a dead giveaway, not just the manner of her dress. "Not many women enjoy a good scotch on the rocks." She motioned the bartender over and shoved her almost untouched Pina colada towards the man. "I'll have what the little lady is having."

Evie hoped that the cringe she felt was not visible. That was her nickname for Andy. It was just another reminder her of her tall friend waiting at home for her. The flight attendant had the day off. How she was planning on spending it, she was not sure. It was frightening to the pilot just how interlaced in her own life her new friend was becoming. Shoving all that in the back of her mind, she focused on the woman before her.

Once again her mind was realizing how close the two women were in looks. If she were to admit it, which she wouldn't, she was imagining the strange woman with blue eyes and chiseled cheeks. "I always enjoy a good scotch on the rocks." Evie took a sip from the beverage. "I enjoy a lot of good things that not all women enjoy." There was a twinkling in her darkened green eyes. It was her usual line. Quite cheesy in some ways, yet it was enough of an opening that most women understood.

"I see." The strange woman slid her barstool closer to the petite blond. "Well then, here's to things that are sometimes an acquired taste." Evie smiled at the raven haired woman's play on words. _She sounds just like me. This is going to be easier than I thought._ They sat in silence for several moments. "By the way, my name is Alicia." A hand was extended to which the pilot took. There was nothing out of the ordinary really about this woman.

True, she was beautiful. True she was tall. True she was a poor imitation of her Andy. Evie literally shook her head once again trying to get the image of her friend out of her mind. It was becoming unreal. She was almost, almost tempted to forget the hunt with this particular woman and start over. After a moment of internal warring, the pilot decided to go for it. "The name is Evie. I'm only here overnight. Have an early flight in the morning."

That was the code. It seemed that this particular woman knew exactly what it meant as she took the last sip of her drink and put a twenty down on the bar. Evie reached into her pocket and put a ten down. Their eyes locked for a moment. "Funny, I have an early flight in the morning as well. I guess we better stop wasting time." Used to being the aggressor, it surprised the pilot just a little to hear something she would say.

Unlike some woman who played the field, Evie was comfortable being the aggressor or the one that followed. In some cases, it was interesting when both women were the aggressor. "I say lead on." The petite blond waited for an argument. Being so much alike, she simply assumed that Alicia would want what she usually wanted. Then again, she might be one that was comfortable enough to tell her conquest to get lost.

Evie was never comfortable with that. She was a cad; there was no doubt about that. However, she was an honorable cad. The pilot took in other women's feelings as hers were raked over the coals. She was well aware that some women were not capable of having a one night stand and quickly got attached. Those women were not always easy to spot so she had her share of emotional breakdowns when she attempted her escape.

This was not going to be one of those times. She could feel the confidence and the sexual tension exude off from her taller companion as they silently made their way to the elevators. Alicia was like night and Andy was like day. Once again the pilot was cursing herself for comparing the two women. It was like comparing apples and oranges. It was like comparing a warm bubbly spring to a hot geyser that was as unpredictable as the wind.

The dinging of the elevator caused Evie to break out of the thoughts. She found herself immediately shoved up against the back of the elevator as soon as the doors closed. Lips were locked with hers and she felt strong hands on the inside of her jacket aiming for both of her breasts. This woman was definitely like the pilot when it came to how aggressive she normally was. Something was holding her back as her hands still managed to find purchase on a pair of firm buttocks.

They could barely hear the dinging of the elevator once again as it stopped. A gasp came from the other side. Evie was used to hearing sounds like that. No matter where one went, there were those that were shocked when two women showed public displays of affection. Or in this case, were just about to have sex in a very public place. When she noticed the young girl, the pilot cringed inwardly. Not because it was two women, it was because she would not want her son having to see anything like that whether it was two men, two women or a man and a woman. "I'm sorry."

Alicia gave her a funny look as they made their way out of the elevator. The petite blond waited until the family was safely tucked away in the elevator before she spoke. "I wouldn't want my child seeing anything like that." Evie emphasized the word 'anything' hoping that her conquest would understand. The mood was obviously a little more subdued as the raven haired woman opened her motel room for them. _She probably doesn't have kids or know of anyone that does._

As soon as the door was closed, the temperature rose once again. Evie found herself pinned against the door. Her jacket was slid off from her body easily. Somehow the pilot had her hands between them and was unbuttoning the purple silk shirt. The petite blond shuddered as she felt the swells of the breasts underneath the material. An insistent tongue was shoved into her mouth. While normally that was something she wouldn't mind, something about this was once again not feeling right.

Before she could think, Evie found herself spun around and was slammed roughly against the bed. The petite woman literally bounced up and down a few times before she found a tall muscular form hovering over her. In her mind, this was not Alicia that was hovering over her. In fact, the internal struggle was a complete failure. The woman that she was about to become very intimate was Andy. It just had to be her flight attendant.

Evie allowed herself to get lost in the fantasy as she felt her white blouse being unbuttoned. The tall woman straddled her and she could feel the heat from the other woman's Promised Land. Green eyes closed wanting this more than she had wanted anything in her life. She felt the front of her bra being unhooked and the swells of her breasts spilling from the confinement. A gasp escaped her as warm large hands encased each breast.

The petite blond's body began to rock slightly. Her hands once again were attempting to find purchase on anything and found a pair of firm cheeks. When she felt the warmth of the mouth on her neck, she almost lost it. The tongue traveled down to her already hardened nipple. The peach rosebud was flicked a couple of times before a full mouth took it in. That was when she heard herself say something that ended the mood in less than a heartbeat. "Oh God! Oh Andy!"

Just like that, the heat that she had been feeling from both the tall woman's womanhood and from her mouth was gone. Just like that, Evie was sitting up, covering her exposed breasts with her arms. In all her life, she had never felt both exposed and vulnerable at the same time. This went beyond what she felt when she walked in on her ex-girlfriend. It was dawning on her that she never felt love for her ex. Already what she was feeling for Andy was more than that ever could have been with her ex.

Without a word from either woman, Evie picked up her bra and shoved it into her pocket. She haphazardly buttoned her shirt. Hastily she grabbed her jacket from the ground and wrapped it around her, not bothering to put her arms through the sleeves. The door shutting behind her sounded as loud as if she had had a hangover. Her head was already pounding like she had a hangover as she made her way to the elevator.

Finally Evie was in the sanctuary of her room. As if on autopilot, she hung up her jacket. Followed were her blouse and the slacks that completed her work uniform. Once again as if a robot, she went about freshening the clothing for the early morning's flight. Finally sitting on the bed with nothing on, she just had to hear the voice that had just cost her the release she had been hoping for, the voice that was meaning so much more to her already than simply a friend.

The phone call went straight to voice mail. Evie never bothered leaving a message. Simply hearing Andy's voice gave her a measure of comfort. It was something that she had never felt before. A little less than three weeks the pilot had to remind herself. They had only known one another for three weeks. The flight attendant had never shown any inclination towards the female form. A shudder of disgust went through her body as she remembered Brett and how long they had been together.

Evie knew that she would not get any sleep if she could not find the sweet release that she had been seeking. The petite blond sighed, not wanting to do what she must now do. Though the mood had been quickly cooled off, her strong libido was still pulsating between her legs. She scooted up so that she was leaning against the headboard. Knowing it was not a good idea but not being able to help herself, the pilot once again had her cell phone in one hand.

It wasn't long before she had a picture of Andy staring her in the face. The flight attendant had not known she was taking it. The raven haired woman had been lying on the couch. It was clear that she had just taken a shower. She was wearing a see through white T-shirt. Obviously she had thought she had time before anyone else had gotten home. Still, there she was. That white T-shirt that allowed for her to see the dark areolas and the erect nipples. The cotton tan shorts clung tightly to her hips.

Instantly Evie's body was reacting to the image in her mind more than what was on her phone. Her own pink rosebuds once again were hard. One hand was rubbing her breast, the other making its way to moisture laden lips. "Oh my God! Andy!" Once again it was her making love to the tall flight attendant. It was the long length of the body pressed against her as the hands made work of pleasuring the petite blond.

While not the same as actually being with someone, Evie had never had a reaction so intense at the imagined touch of a woman. As she continued to work herself closer and closer to her ultimate release, she felt and smelled the flight attendant. It was overwhelming. It was beyond words. Finally, she was pushed over the edge by the thought of Andy's tongue inside of instead of her own petite fingers. Once again she called the raven haired woman's name over and over again as she finally came back down to earth.

As Evie's heart pounded in her ears and her breathing was slowly becoming steady once again, the pilot realized something. She realized that she was in bigger trouble than she had originally thought. From the moment she had seen the woman standing in the airport being chastised by her boyfriend, her heart had been gone. It was something that had never happened to her before. It was like she finally knew what love was all about.

It wasn't about sex, which Evie was very good at. The petite blond had years and years of practice at that, lucky never to have gotten any sexually transmitted diseases. Lust was all she had ever known. While it had its positives, the one thing it left her was feeling empty. There was the other side-affect that she was just beginning to come to terms with. Years of attempting to convince herself that she was happy alone with her boys was a complete and total lie.

Not a lie exactly as much as it was a defense mechanism that she had incorporated into her being. Evie began to cry. Images of walking in on the woman that she had cared for and had thought that she loved flashed through her mind. She had wasted how many years holding onto the pain so that she could justify her one night stands that she had forgotten something very important. The pilot had never grieved.

It wasn't so much grieved for the relationship she thought she had. It was for any future relationship that she might be tempted to have. For until she was able to get past what had happened to her, truly get past what had happened, she would never allow herself to open up to love. That meant she would never allow herself to be loved or allow herself to love. No matter how attracted she was to Andy, no matter how much she cared, she would not be able to love her.

The tears flowed even harder at the thought. Andy had just come out of an abusive relationship. While still not sure that there had been physical abuse, it was certain that the mental abuses had been heaped on her over the years were enough to hurt her. It was even affecting her physically as she still, even after the compliment, thought she needed to work out and lose weight. So until she was ready to truly love, she would have to keep the flight attendant at a distance.

Exhausted from the unaccustomed emotional outburst, Evie curled up on her side. She tightly hugged one pillow to her side. Though she was supposed to be keeping a mental distance, she imagined that it was Andy that she had her arms wrapped around. That, as much as the emotional exhaustion, caused the petite blond to drift off to sleep. Her unconscious mind betrayed her resolve as she dreamed of her and Andy on a beach somewhere wearing nothing but smiles on their faces.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It had been a leisurely Friday for the flight attendant. Andy had allowed herself to sleep in for once. The temperatures were still too hot for her to feel comfortable going for a run so she had decided to take Evie up on her offer to use the exercise equipment. That had been followed by a leisurely shower before she had settled on her bed with her ereader and a good book. It was one that her mother had recommended for her.

Part of her had wanted not to read it the way that things had been left between them. Even after three weeks, she still had not heard from her parents or her two brothers. Her brothers were not a surprise not to attempt to have contact with her. Ever since her older brother moved away, there had been little to no contact which she hated if only because she was cut off from her twin nieces. Her younger brother was simply trouble waiting to happen. Her parents, well, she had never seen eye to eye with them.

The book had been read in a matter of hours. Andy had snuck some leftovers. That was one thing she was enjoying about living with the pilot and her boys. There was always something amazing to eat around the house. What was great was how JL made healthy dishes tasted amazing. The flight attendant felt less guilty about eating as much as she had since living with the pilot and her family. Still, there was some guilt there.

One thing they had yet to discuss because of the schedules was the rent. In the few moments that they had together, Evie had not wanted to hear anything about the raven haired woman paying a cent. That was something she was rectifying now. Though she was still struggling financially with having the payments on Brett's Ford Explorer that somehow he had sold without giving her the money for, was bound and determined to give some money each month.

There were other bills that were popping up. With having to buy an entire wardrobe and new flight attendant outfits, that had almost put both her credit cards at their limits. There was also a loan that Andy had discovered quite by accident that Brett had somehow taken out in both their names. If he had not given her cell phone as contact information, she might never know that it existed. Now in default, she had arranged for payments.

Until all of these things were taken care of, her credit wasn't any good. That meant that getting even a cheap apartment was out of the question. Andy, without Evie knowing, had attempted to find a place to live that accepted pets. That was another thing that hampered her efforts. She loved her Rose and there was no way that she was going to give up her only true friend. Well, friend that had been with her since she was a kitten and was always there with a comforting purr.

It wasn't so much that she wanted to leave Evie as it was her fear of being told to leave that was kicking in. The words that her friend had told her about never being alone again kept replaying through her mind. Still, Andy was one that tried to be prepared for anything. The two things she had not been prepared for was Brett finally asking her to leave and her parents taking his side over hers. And yet, looking back, she should have suspected both would happen eventually.

Andy shoved all the negativity behind her as she sealed the envelope. Inside were two one hundred dollar bills she had gone to the bank to retrieve. She wrote a quick note on the outside and made her way into her friend's room. The flight attendant felt a little awkward being in the bedroom without her friend present. Evie had told her that it was all right, but still. The room was simple but cozy. There was nothing out of the ordinary with one exception.

The raven haired woman made her way slowly over to the small desk in the corner. There was an obvious spot that Evie's laptop should be sitting in. That was not unusual as a lot of pilots and flight attendants took their electronic devices with them so that they could stay in touch easier. In fact, most nights that she was able, the petite blond spoke with her son. What was unusual were empty picture frames.

The flight attendant reached out to pick one up but thought better of it. She did get closer to the picture frames noticing that they weren't empty. The pictures that were inside were simply turned around so that they could not be seen. The forehead furrowed wondering why it was that anyone would keep the pictures that obviously caused one distress. Andy stood straight still trying to figure out what was going through her friend's mind.

Deciding that she had invaded Evie's privacy enough, she made her way over to the bed. There was a picture of the boys. This, Andy did pickup so that she could get a better look at it. The smiles on both of them were amazing. It caused the flight attendant to sigh. It was what she wanted reflected in the faces of the two men. The raven haired woman placed the envelope on the nightstand before returning the picture to its spot.

Looking at the clock, it was now time that DJ should be getting off the bus. Andy made her way into her bedroom deciding what she was wearing wasn't exactly the most appropriate for a recently turned ten year old. In fact, she decided to put on something a little dressier. That meant that she had on a pair of tight fitting black jeans. She donned a light blue shirt that matched her eyes almost exactly. She finished the look by managing to French Braid her own hair.

When she walked out of her bedroom, she heard a noise in the kitchen. It took only a few moments to walk the distance. She found that a part of her was hoping that it was Evie. She knew that the pilot would not be back until Sunday night. Luckily that would be when Andy would be returning from her weekend assignment. It wasn't surprising when she saw the rather large man in the kitchen. He appeared to be putting some ingredients together. "Hi."

JL looked up at the sound of the flight attendant's somewhat deep but always rich voice. Though he still had his reservations because of the stalking by Brett and how easily his friend could get hurt, he had taken an instant liking to the flight attendant. There was something almost innocent about her. It was refreshing and also made him worry. "Hello young lady." There was only three years between them yet he insisted on calling her that. "I'm about to head down to the bar. DJ is at a friend's tonight. Care to join me?"

Andy blinked several times. While she had been to plenty of bars, she had never been to a gay bar before. The flight attendant had been intrigued about what the interior of the bar. Was it something you'd see on television or in the movies? Was it just like any other bar? She knew that there were dancers, both men and women. What was there better to do? Sit around and read some more. Groom either Trouble or Rose. Pine away for Evie.

The last thought caused Andy to take in a sharp breath. JL apparently noticed and she smiled shyly. "I've never been to a gay bar before. Evie did tell me that the drinks are on the house." That got a playful eyebrow raised. Even though they had not known one another that long, the flight attendant still knew that it was the bar owner being playful. "No worries. I'm a light drinker. And I don't eat much as you know." She took one last look around the wonderful apartment. "Sure, why not? Maybe you can teach me how to make drinks?"

JL let out a hearty laugh. The woman was enduring. It was easy to see why Evie would fall for her. He just hoped that his friend was being cautious as there were so many obstacles between them. "I think that can be arranged." The big man finished preparing some things for dinner before turning to the sink to wash his hands. "All right, let's get down to the bar. I might not be as attentive as I'd like. Had my normal bartender call in sick."

The two walked down the stairway, JL in the lead. Ever since he had been told of Brett hanging around, the man had become very protective of the ladies and his son. Usually he would be the gentleman and let a true Southern lady lead the way. However, with the unknown danger lurking behind every shadow, he had decided it was even more gentlemanly of him to lead. It wasn't long before they were standing in front of the double doors.

The double doors were painted a royal blue. There was the neon sign above the door that read 'J.E.D's Bar'. It had taken Andy a little bit to figure out that the initials of the bar represented the three in the family. It was cute and it made for a slightly different name. JL opened one door and held it opened for the raven haired woman. A burly man that had been sitting on a tall bar stool quickly stood. When he saw his boss he nodded and smiled at the woman with him. "This is Andy. She's a special friend of Evie's."

The words were hardly ever used but the bouncer understood the words immediately. They might not mean that Andy was her girlfriend but it did mean that she was not to be messed with by anyone. "My name is Jason. You can call me Jas." Andy held out her hand. To her surprise, the burly man took it and placed a gentle kiss upon it. She wasn't sure if he was gay or not, she just knew that he had proven to be a true gentleman. "If you need anything or anyone is bothering you, just come see me."

"Thank you." Andy was genuinely charmed by the man. Once inside, the flight attendant stopped in her tracks. It was nothing like she had imagined. While there was a stage, there were no cages. There were no poles. There was nothing to indicate anything other than an area that could be used for dancers or bands. It was large enough it could be used for both. Finally she shook out of her stupor as she followed JL to the bar.

If she had been paying attention, Andy would have felt the eyes upon her. The flight attendant really was naïve and unaware of her surroundings. The bar surprised her as well. It was mahogany like one would see in a country western bar. Yet the rest of the décor was more modern. There were no neon tubes or anything. It was simply a place that you could come to relax whether you wanted a good meal or a drink to wash the day's troubles away.

"This is really nice." Andy sat at the far end of the bar so that she was out of the way. The crowd was light as it was still not even dinnertime. JL was busy checking the bottles on the shelf when he turned around. There was obviously a question on his face. The flight attendant reddened slightly. "I honestly didn't know what to expect. I've never been in a gay bar and Evie didn't tell me much about it other than the drinks are strong, the food is excellent and the dancers are amazing."

JL let out a hearty laugh. "That would be all that Evie would say." The tall man glanced over the woman's shoulder. He caught a familiar pair of blue eyes. The glare that was sent towards the woman caused her to shrink back behind the curtain. _That is trouble and with a capital T. I've tried to tell Evie that it was bad news to get involved with Lilly. Even if there is supposed to be no strings attached, that girl is hooked. And now she's giving Andy the evil eye._ "Really, we meant it to be like any other bar. Just where the LGBT community can come and feel comfortable."

Andy had never really thought of it that way. In her mind, a bar was where someone went to get a drink of course. But there was also the fact that a lot of people went to try and make a love connection. Or at the very least, make a connection for one night. That was one thing that had never appealed to the flight attendant in the least. "Well I feel comfortable here. This place is really relaxing. Of course I haven't seen the dancers as of yet."

The bar owner wanted to laugh at the remark. After what he had just seen, the look that had been on the dancer's face, it would be a bad thing for her to see the dancers at least one in particular. "They are something. And we do have open mike night on Saturdays." Andy looked at him. "I'm not suggesting you sing. I'm just suggesting that if you and Evie both have a Saturday night off that you stop by around eight or so. You'll get one hell of a show if you do."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Andy laughed at the thoughts. She smiled warmly as JL set the fruity drink in front of her. Her smile grew as she realized it was nothing but fruit punch with an umbrella. While she did like to drink, she had to leave early in the morning for her short turnaround weekend shift. "Thanks for this too." The bartender winked at her before he made his way to the other end where there were paying customers.

The flight attendant turned around so that she could see what was going on around her in the bar. In the twenty minutes that she had been there, the crowd had thickened. There were many people dressed in various outfits. Overall, it still appeared as an average bar. That was when the music began. The first song was a popular country music song. The dancers came out onto the stage. There were two men and two women.

Andy's eyes could not leave the one woman's. Eyes that were bluer than her own held her captive. It wasn't the woman's eyes though that had the flight attendant watching so intently. In fact, she had no idea that she was watching the woman stomp across the stage in a pair of red cowboy boots with a red bikini topped off with a red cowboy hat. It was the blond features. It was the petite stature. It was the way she resembled Evie so much that had her undivided attention.

In fact, Andy was so lost in her own world that she had no idea that Brett had been sitting at the other end of the bar. The man had seen her at the bar and decided to attempt to make amends. In the three weeks that she had been gone, he had already missed a payment on the condo. The money that he had gotten out of selling his Explorer had not gone far as the person he sold it too had been crooked skating the law and therefore gave him half what it was worth. The man desperately needed an infusion of money. Taking back his ex, if only temporarily was his only chance.

Brett sat and watched his ex with a great deal of interest. Only one barstool separated the two. Andy absently sipped at her drink as she watched the woman pulling out all of the stops as she danced around the stage. It wasn't long before the raven haired woman was actually imagining Evie up on stage. It wasn't much of a stretch as the woman looked so much like her friend. It wasn't the first time that she had imagined her friend in such a way.

It was something that she tried not to do. Not because she felt there was anything wrong with it. It was just that Evie was her friend. She was her first true friend ever. Sighing as she decided that she better tear her eyes away from a blond that looked far too much like her friend, she turned around and into a nightmare. "Brett? What the hell are you doing here?" Andy set her empty glass down and stood up ready to make a run for it if she had to.

Brett smiled at her. It was, Andy figured, supposed to be charming. Either she had seen it one too many times or she was finally seeing it for what it was. The man was a pig and didn't deserve her. The thought caused her heart to lighten a little as it was actually Evie's voice that she had heard say it. "I decided to give you a second chance." The man stood up and got as close as his ex would allow him. "I heard you were staying with your friend. I found out she owns the place so I thought I'd take a chance on bumping into you here."

Suddenly, Andy felt sick to her stomach. It was bad enough that she had Brett stalking her. Now he was investigating Evie and her family as well. That was something she would not stand for. Yet, she felt all of her strength to stand up to him fading quickly. The source of her strength was on the other side of the country at the moment. What she wouldn't do to have the pilot here to protect her. If not protect her, she at least hoped that she could give her the strength she needed to face her ex.

"I was just leaving." Before she could walk away, Brett was roughly grabbing her arm. It caused her to yelp. The music was playing far too loud for anyone that was away from them to hear it. Andy attempted to pull her arm free but it was no use. The man was simply too strong as he always was for her. Blue eyes closed and thought of one person. Suddenly she had the strength, if not physically at least mentally to stand up to the man. "I'd appreciate you leaving me alone. I'd appreciate you not disturbing my friend and her family."

"You would, huh?" Brett's resolve to play nice was fading quickly. His grip on her arm tightened and tears began to form in the corners of Andy's eyes. "I thought you had learned a long time ago that I'm the boss. I'm the one that controls you. Now, you need to go upstairs and collect all of your belongings." The man came in dangerously close. In fact, the flight attendant could smell the alcohol and the stale cigarettes on his breath. "What's mine, I keep. I might have sent you away for a while, but I want you back."

Somehow, Andy managed to wrench her arm free. It was going to leave one hell of a bruise in its wake. The petite blond's voice was echoing in her head. She was not alone. Evie might not be physically by her side, but in spirit she was. "I'm my own woman. I let you control me for over seven years. You were the one that got rid of me. So I say good riddance to you. And if you ever show up here at the bar or near the apartment, I'm going to call the police."

"And what are they going to do?" Brett moved too fast for Andy to react. The big man not only had one of her upper arms in his tight grasp, he had both. His face was right in hers. "Do I have to repeat myself? You, Bitch, get your things and come back to the condo with me. There are bills that need paying. There is a house that needs cleaning. So get your fat ass to where it belongs before I …" His words were cut off when he felt a firm grip on his arms from each side. "What the f…"

On one side of the man was JL. On the other side was Jas. They had both seen the confrontation at the same time. The bartender had bolted over the bar while the bouncer had made sure that his partner could handle the incoming patrons before he too made his way over to the damsel in distress. It was Andy that somehow, though slightly stunned, found her voice. "Brett, these are my friends." The word tasted odd on her tongue yet she liked it. Not as much as when she called Evie her friend, but still. "They don't like it when I get hurt."

Though the lighting was low because of the performance on stage, Andy rolled up both her sleeves. She revealed multiple bruises already beginning to form. JL looked at the man with obvious disgust. "So you are the infamous Brett. The one that thinks he can treat a lady like a piece of garbage. Well, Brett, you've met the owner of the establishment. You've met the head bouncer. That means your picture will be plastered everywhere as someone that is banned for life. If I see your troublemaking ass around here again, I will call the police. Jas, escort this pile of dung out the door."

"With pleasure." Brett appeared to begin to protest so that Jas put his arm around the man's neck. "Either relax or I start squeezing. How long do you think you can struggle against my grip before you pass out? And if you do pass out, I guarantee that you'll find yourself in the garbage bin. Do you understand me?" As if to answer the bouncer, Andy's ex relaxed and began to walk on his own. Terrified blue eyes never left his from until he had been shoved outside.

Andy could not help it. She found herself collapsing into the strong arms of the bartender. The man made a hand signal and without a word, scooped up the tall woman in his arms. The flight attendant was so emotionally drained that she never protested. In fact, in the safe arms of JL, she found herself half asleep by the time that he had carried her all the way to her bed. He pulled back the covers and tucked the raven haired beauty into bed.

A barely heard "Thank you," escaped from her lips. JL simply smiled at the woman. On the outside, she appeared tough as nails. On the inside, she was as vulnerable as they come. It was another reason he was worried about Evie getting hurt. Just as he was about to close the bedroom door he heard, "If you were here Evie, this never would have happened. I know you would have kept him away. I love my pilot." That was followed up by cute little snores.

JL stood there dumbfounded. He had heard of love at first sight even thinking to have found it himself at one time. There, in his mind, had been no signs of Andy being attracted to his friend. Perhaps she had meant it as a friend. Yeah, that was what it was. It couldn't have been that the flight attendant had meant it as anything other than a friend. Slowly, the bar owner closed the door. His mind was on his friend and just what all of this meant. If it were true, would Evie be able to return the feelings? Or was this a nightmare about to happen in front of his very eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Both Evie and Andy had worked through the weekend. It had been in zombie like fashion as both were emotionally spent. Their Sunday evening together was beginning quiet like as well. The bar was in good hands leaving JL to be free to spend time with his family. The weather was cooling off nicely so the large man decided it was time for a barbecue. Between school and the pilot's schedule, they just hadn't had enough time to spend as a family.

Now that Andy was a part of their extended family, it would be the first barbecue that she would hopefully enjoy. She and Evie seemed to be a bit distant in the just over an hour that the flight attendant had been home. Of course the raven haired woman had spent most of her time in her bedroom with her kitty. A quiet evening seemed to be par for the course. JL was not opposed to that after what had happened with Brett and what his pilot had told him.

Rarely if ever had it happened where Evie had not been able to follow through on one of her conquests. The emotional breakdown was even more of a novelty. The phone call he'd received was something he never thought he would have to talk his friend through. The fact that Andy had returned the phone call had added to her emotional status being so shaken though they only spoke briefly. In fact, the petite blond had also spent a majority of her day in her bedroom which was so unlike her.

What JL and the others hadn't known was what Evie was doing inside her bedroom. The pilot sat at her desk. Her laptop was now sitting in its place. It sat closed. That was not why she was sitting in her room alone. The petite blond had been thinking about Friday evening nonstop. Not being able to seal the deal was not the worst thing. It was not like her but it was not what was bothering her.

What was bothering her was the fact that she finally found herself on the verge. The verge of what? The verge of finally being ready to commit herself to one person. Looking back on the previous encounter, there was no doubt in her mind that the whole seduction would not have happened if the woman had not resembled Andy so much. The pilot sighed as she sat staring at the picture frames that appeared to be empty.

Why she had held onto the pictures inside the antique silver frames, she had no idea. At the same time, she knew the answer to that question. Evie had held onto the pictures for one reason. So she could hold onto the betrayal. So that she could never again be hurt as badly as she had been. But she had been young and naïve. It really wasn't her fault that she had been tricked. That she had thought that most people were faithful to their partners.

A thought occurred to her that made her almost physically ill for the longest of moments. In fact, she almost had to retrieve the wastebasket. It was something she had managed to block out of her conscious mind over the past decade plus. Ever since the breakup, she had used one woman after the other just to satisfy her own libido. Some she had cared about. Some she never even knew their name. Some she never even saw their faces as some clubs can be very dark.

The thought made her quite ill. How many of those one night stands had been in a committed relationship? Just because there wasn't a ring on the finger didn't necessarily mean that there wasn't someone waiting at home. In fact, there could have been children as well as a significant lover. The thought was causing the bile to rise in her mouth once again. Evie took deep breaths and swallowed a few gulps of water to keep from being sick.

Evie sat there for a few moments just breathing. She was making sure she was going to be able to handle seeing the pictures of Brandi. The sandy blond woman had broken her heart so badly, she had been blind. Blind to the fact the petite blond probably had been the other woman on numerous times. The only thing that the pilot had checked for was a ring on the finger. Never had she thought about those that chose not to wear them.

"Mom!" Evie did the mom thing and managed to get herself emotionally composed, at least enough to face her little man. The petite blond made her way over to the door steeling herself before opening it. DJ was standing in his underwear and his T-shirt. "Trouble got sick. I left my clothes in my bathroom." The petite nose crinkled at the thought. Just as quickly, she gave 'the look' to her son. His head hung immediately. "I'm sorry. I won't feed him marshmallows anymore."

Though her heart was still aching at the realization she had made, she could not stay mad at her child. "I think you learned your lesson, Little Man." Evie reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. "Make sure that Trouble gets lots of water to drink. Nothing to eat until morning, though." Their eyes met. It was obvious that the puppy already had the boy wrapped around his tail. "I mean it. Unless you want to be the one to clean up after him next time."

"Eww gross!" DJ's nose crinkled up exactly like his mother's. His blue eyes, so much like his father's, grew wide at the thought. Evie found herself chuckling at the antics of her son causing her body to relax from its almost rigid state. There was a moment of silence between the pair. "So…um…" His eyes would not meet his mother's. There was something else going on. The petite blond reached out to gently tip her son's head so they were looking into one another's eyes. "Are…are you going to come out here?"

The words were not what the young boy wanted to speak. Something was telling the pilot that her son was begging her to come out and spend time with him. Evie knew she should as he would be back in school the next day. She would be off to someplace new in a couple days. The pilot sighed heavily. "I'll be out in about half an hour. Plenty of time to clean up the mess that you boys will make scarfing down your food." There was a hesitation on the young boy's part. "I promise. Now go take Trouble for a walk."

"K!" DJ unexpectedly gave his mom a bear hug. It wasn't often that the boy would do such a thing. Usually he was a little more reserved. Evie watched as he ran into his bedroom tossing on dirty clothes before going to the living room, Trouble instantly on his heels. One would never know that the puppy had just been sick. He was running around like he normally did. The smile was instantly on her face watching the boy play with his dog.

Evie shut the door and returned to her desk. Instead of sitting down, she took the three picture frames and, one by one, pulled them apart. Each photo was taken around the same time. The pilot had shoulder length hair instead of her trademark short locks. The sandy blond had her hair in a braid. The petite blond had truly been happy. She had thought she had found 'the one' that she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.

It was clear that she was young and naïve. Brandi had pleaded for a second chance. Evie was not that young and naïve to have been taken in again. Once a cheater, always a cheater. The pilot took the pictures in one hand and her scissors in the other. She hesitated only a moment before she began to shred them into neat little strips. Then, her resolve failed her and she began to hack the pictures into tiny little pieces.

It was symbolic, really, of just how the petite blond's heart was left so many years ago. The ironic thing Evie was beginning to realize that she never really learned anything from it except to avoid putting herself in a situation where it might happen again. She had closed herself off from women in general with the exception of the one night stands. It wasn't really living. True she had her boys, the bar and her job. But was that really living?

Evie picked up the wastebasket and unceremoniously shoved the shreds into the garbage. It was step one in a lot of steps the pilot feared. Letting go of the past was easier said than done. The petite blond put the picture frames in a drawer of her desk in the hopes that one day she and Andy could fill them. _Just as friends. You don't need anything more than friendship. Yet._ She smiled at the last thought. It was the first time she had truly smiled since Friday night.

Her cell phone rang as she was about to open the door. Work would most likely not be calling her, though if another pilot was sick it was a possibility. There really was no one else. Her boys were here. Andy was here. Her foster parents were gone and had been for years now. Really she had no friends outside of her family. The pilot groaned as she saw who the call was from. _Guess this will be step two if you are going to try for friendship first and then…_

The smile turned lecherous for a moment at the thought of her snuggled up naked to a certain tall flight attendant. _I've already done that, fully clothed. I actually just slept in the same bed with a woman curled up. Still the most amazing feeling I've had. Haven't felt like that since…_Brandi. Evie sighed as she answered the phone. Part of her wanted to let it go to voice mail but she knew how persistent that Lilly could be, about a lot of things. "Hey. I was just about to spend the evening with the boys…"

"And I thought you'd like some Lilly time, Sugar." The voice was rich and seductive. It wasn't unlike Andy's the pilot suddenly realized. The thought made her feel slightly nauseous. "It's been a very long time since we had any playtime. I know you just got back, but I know my little Evie. She's always up for a good time." And the nausea continued with force. "Come out and play. We can make it quick. The boys will never know that you are gone."

Evie had to take a deep breath to steady herself. For once, it was not her extremely strong libido she was having to try and calm. It was the anger. Anger at herself for all these years of simply using woman. In general, there really was nothing wrong with having one night stands. What was wrong was leading someone on or possibly being the other half of a cheater. "I'll know." It was a simple statement, one that she hoped her…employee…would understand.

There was something between a growl and a gasp that came through the phone. Evie could not help the sigh that was once again escaping from her lips. All that she wanted at the moment was to spend a quality evening with her son and his father. Hopefully that would include Andy as well but the pilot was not going to push her friend into anything she wasn't ready for, no matter how many cold showers that entailed.

"Since when…" Lilly started but decided that another tactic would be better. If not better, it would at least get her point across a lot faster. "I've not been with anyone since our last time." Green eyes grew as she knew what was going to happen next. "It won't take much. All you'll need is to simply touch me." Not able to control herself, Evie felt her breathing picking up. "That's right. Just think about how soft I am. Just think about how sweet I'd taste right about…"

"ENOUGH!" Evie rarely raised her voice. She simply was an easy going person that only wanted to have a good time. But that wasn't her anymore. The pilot realized once again that it was never truly who she was. It was who she had become so that she would not get hurt once again. _To hell with it! Whatever happens, happens._ "I told you that I'm spending my evening with my boys." She was about to hang up when she thought of one more thing to say.

This was probably going to irritate Lilly. Evie needed to take the first step in letting the dancer know that they were no longer friends with benefits. In fact, the pilot made another silent vow. There were going to be no others. Even if she had to use other means to relax herself, the feisty woman was not going to sleep with another woman, unless her name was Andy. "I also am still getting acquainted with my new roommate. We don't get time off together very often so I'm going to make the most of it."

There was screeching that was silenced the moment that Evie hit the end button. She placed her cell phone back on her hip. Knowing Lilly like she did, the phone would probably be ringing nonstop. Most likely, she would have to put it on vibrate. If she could not be called into work, she would just turn the thing off and not worry about it. Before she could close her bedroom door behind her, the playful jazz tune that was her ringtone was echoing throughout the hallway.

Evie looked at the caller ID, grimacing when Lilly's name was once again there. She hit the silence button before making sure that her phone was now on vibrate. It would be a little distracting but it was better than having the actual ringing interrupt everyone's evening. The pilot slowly made her way into the kitchen where JL was taking the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. "Hey you." His deep voice echoed throughout the kitchen.

The smell of the spicy baked beans cooking in the oven assaulted the pilot causing her stomach to grumble rather noticeably. Their eyes locked. His brilliant blue eyes were chastising her. She winked at her friend. It had been since breakfast that she had eaten anything. Partly it had been because of the heaviness she continued to feel over the revelation of the weekend. Partly it was because she had yet to see Andy.

"I know. I know." Evie made her way over to the island and sat down. A small bowl of fruit appeared before her. Emerald eyes slowly glanced up. JL was already checking on the bubbling baked beans. The green eyes rolled. It was the only way he could get away with what he was attempting to do. Although her stomach was not feeling like eating, though grumbling, the pilot began to pick at the fruit. It wasn't until she heard the familiar voice that her appetite seemed to reassert itself.

As Andy sat down next to her, the pilot picked up a cherry. She found herself suckling on the fruit before pulling the stem. The juices exploding in her mouth were also exploding in her shorts. _Well, so much for keeping my libido in check._ The petite blond took in the look on the flight attendant and realized something. Her friend was not immune to the seductiveness that was Evie. While it pleased her in one way, she was also chastising herself.

Evie looked away so that she would not have to see what she had done. The pilot took another of the dark red fruits and brought it to her lips. This time, she simply placed it in her mouth tugging the stem free. A gentle hand was on her arm. It caused her to look up into sapphire eyes. There was a smile upon the flight attendant's face. The petite blond mentally let out a breath of relief. She figured she had crossed that line, the one that meant they would go from friends to lovers in less than a heartbeat.

While that was appealing on so many levels, a picture of Brandi and her two bedmates ran through her mind. Unconsciously, her body stiffened and instantly the warmth of the hand on her arm was replaced by the coolness of the surrounding air. When she looked at her friend, there was a faraway look in her eyes. It was confusing to the pilot. Not that her life was not confusing. But without Andy in her life, she would be totally lost.

"Hey." The pilot waited for a response. When there wasn't one, she playfully elbowed the taller woman. Blue eyes blinked a few times before turning to her friend. "Can I ask you something?" Something alerted Andy that this was going to be a serious question. Or maybe it was time Evie was finally tired of her living there. The flight attendant knew that it was only a matter of time. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Which part of not paying rent don't you understand?"

There had been so much tension in the air before that little attempt at humor. Their eyes locked momentarily before they both burst out laughing. JL was just coming from outside with DJ and Trouble in tow. "So, what are we missing?" The two males made their way to the counter. The boy wedged his way in between the two women. The puppy was wriggling between everyone's legs trying to get attention.

"Nothing." Andy smiled lightly. While the hope that Evie would find her attractive and want more than friendship had faded just a little, the flight attendant was at least secure in the tentative friendship she wanted more than words can say. She turned her blue eyes to the boy she was becoming quite fond of. After ruffling his hair, she said, "You know how much your mom loves to tease everyone. I was just going to tell her that I pull my own weight when I can."

The blond boy looked at his friend, obvious questions running across his face. When he realized that Andy wasn't going to answer him, he decided to look at his mom hoping for the answers to why the two women were acting so weird. All he got in response was his hair being ruffled once again. "Seriously, girls are so weird. I think I'm going to go stomp on some zombies. Come on, Trouble. Let's get away from all these cooties."

Andy was about to say something when her cell phone alerted her to a text. Her eyes grew wide as she saw who it was from and where they were at. "Um…" The flight attendant stood so quickly that she tipped the barstool over. Quickly, she righted the fallen chair. "I'll be right back." The raven haired woman made her way to the entrance hoping no one was watching. She knew that she could not keep them waiting any longer.

Evie watched the flight attendant as she made her way out of the apartment. The minute that Andy had read the text, her shoulders had slumped and her head had hung. Fear gripped the pilot as she slowly followed the raven haired woman down the stairs. JL watched as well. He had noticed the same things. He noticed how his friend's posture had straightened. The bar owner knew exactly what that meant. The petite blond was in 'mother mode' as he had termed it. Suddenly, he felt very sorry for whoever was troubling their new roommate.

The petite blond could smell the smoke of the grill as she kept the door open just enough to hear what was being said. It wasn't Brett's voice. Evie wondered who it was that had obviously made her friend so upset. While part of her hated to eavesdrop, she knew that Andy would not tell her about this. It seemed that her flight attendant kept things from her that made her appear weak. Still knowing it was wrong, the pilot settled in, intently listening.

The raven haired woman approached the awaiting couple. On the surface, they both appeared to look like Andy in some regard. There was a brunette in her early sixties that stood just a bit shorter than the flight attendant. The eyes were brown instead of blue, otherwise they could almost be considered sisters. A man that was just slightly older stood about the same height as the woman walking towards him. While his eyes were the same vibrant shade of blue, his hair was sandy blond and he had a goatee.

"Mother, Father." Andy stiffly hugged each of the older couple. After their last conversation, the flight attendant had not expected them to simply show up out of the blue. Sapphire eyes kept glancing over their shoulders. A part of her suspected that Brett was behind this. That same part was waiting for him to jump out and yell 'surprise'. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon. I thought that you were…"

"Upset?" Betty Parks stood to her full height though still dwarfed by her daughter. "Why would we be upset you left the father of our grandchildren?" Andy winced visibly. Her mother took that as a sign of guilt. The two women never understood one another. The matriarch always thought that her daughter could have done so much more with her life. Being a flight attendant was so beneath her. It was glorified customer service. There were so many more jobs her beauty and intelligence could have better served.

"Now, don't push the girl so." George Parks was a distinguished looking gentleman. His dress was always of that for business. There were never any wrinkles in his suits. In fact, he had always attempted to ingrain into his children that one must dress for success. Seeing his daughter in a pair of khaki shorts and a rich blue T-shirt had him literally shaking his head in disappointment. "Perhaps she was just nervous about finally settling down."

What was she to say? Andy had already told them repeatedly that it was Brett that had ended the relationship. It was the man that they put on a pedestal that had told her to leave her own home. Would they listen any better now that they were here in person? A heavy sigh escaped the woman who wanted to run back up the stairs and into Evie's arms. The thought caused her to blush slightly. Quickly, she shook it off. "I told you, I'm the one that was told to leave."

Betty was standing before her daughter looking up into sad blue eyes. Her daughter never seemed to be able to be happy. No matter how many friends she had, no matter how many pageants she competed in and no matter how much love she was shown, Andy simply could not be happy. "I know you think that's what happened. Brett was just upset. You both were. He never would ask you to leave for good. You both just needed a cooling off period."

"Your mother is right." George put his arm around his wife's shoulder. Andy was looking from one to the other wondering how it was that they were **her** parents and not Brett's. They were defending his actions like it was just one of those things. "Men get a little heated from time to time." He reached out and patted her on the cheek. It felt so condescending that a small choking sound came from the flight attendant's mouth. "You just have to learn not to make him angry all the time."

Andy was about to say something when she heard the door behind her slam open and then shut. She spared a quick glance over her shoulder. A small smile was twitching at the corners of her mouth as soon as she realized it was her pilot that was most likely coming to her rescue. Yet there was that side of her that would always fear **it**. 'It' being Evie growing tired of her and sending her away. Every friend she'd ever had in the past had. The pilot was different, right?

Evie made her way so that she was standing side by side with her taller companion. Her hand involuntarily made its way to the small of the raven haired woman's back. The muscles twitched slightly causing the pilot to momentarily forget what she was going to say. "Are we talking about the same man?" The two strangers looked at her like she was interrupting and the petite blond knew that she really was butting in on a family moment. "The man that has been drunkenly following your daughter around. The one that…"

The pilot trailed off at the gentle touch of her shoulder. Evie wanted to continue. She wanted to let these two people whom were supposedly related to the woman she…cared a great deal for know what a bastard that Brett was. Something held her back. Something told her to let Andy handle the situation. Her mouth clenched shut as she continued to fight the urge to say something she might regret. _If you want a serious relationship one day with this woman, be respectful of her and her parents._

Betty looked at this new woman with disdain. _How dare this rude and impish woman interrupt a family moment? I am a true Southern belle. She is obviously someone with little to no class. I think it's time we take our little girl somewhere more private._ "I don't wish to be rude as you are being, but I think we need to speak with our little Andrea alone." _Without the kind of bad influence that someone like her is obvious to bring upon my little girl._

The tone of voice caused Andy's shoulders to straighten. It caused her to want to do something that she had never done before. Of course her good breeding made her do it in a way that her parents might not even realize that they were about to get put in their place. She first turned to her friend. "Evie, I'd like you to meet my parents, Betty and George. Mom, Dad I'd like you to meet the woman, a stranger, who cared enough about me to open her home to me when Brett told me I could not return home."

The older couple looked from their daughter to the petite blond that still had a fire blazing in her eyes. Both Betty and George remembered their Southern upbringing and extended a hand to the strange woman. Evie gladly took their hands and grasped them very firmly. Mrs. Parks quickly removed her hand, shaking of the sting of the grip. "Thank you for taking in my daughter. But she really needs to get back to the man that loves her. He called saying that Friday you again spurned him. May I ask why?"

Instead of slumping like before, Andy's shoulders remained straight. In fact, her whole body straightened. She gained an instant strength when she felt the strong petite hand begin to massage her lower back. It was the touch, the connection that the flight attendant was craving so much. "Mother, you need to go." That got a shocked expression on the older woman's face immediately. "I could tell you what happen, but you and Father both choose not to believe me. So let me enjoy the evening with my friend and her family."

"Tell us what?" George's tone was now a sad one. He felt like he was losing his daughter. While never close, he loved all his children. At least she wasn't the one that would get in trouble with the law. Not like her baby brother who was constantly in trouble. The sandy blond man felt his wife's hand on his arm imploring him to stop. There was no stopping him. If his little girl was sad or unhappy, he wanted to know why. After all, he had been the one to tell her not to put anything in Brett's name.

The tall raven haired woman licked her lips. It was mostly to stall. Andy had hoped that her way of explaining the situation would have distracted her parents. Sadly, her father was like a dog with a bone. She was surprised her mother hadn't been the one to ask the question again. Perhaps it was a new double team that they had come up with. "Fine. You want to know? Friday, Brett came to the bar that Evie and JL own…"

"You mean the gay bar?" At the tone of her mother's voice, Andy's entire body went rigid. She felt Evie's hand still its motion against her lower back. The strength was still being given, but she knew that her friend was now upset. Soon the feisty petite blond would be reacting. "Brett told us all about it." Betty was shaking her head as if ashamed her daughter would be seen in such a place. "Stripers, loud music and the drugs that the people were taking! Typical bar for those kinds of people."

Evie was pissed off. A low growl escaped from her throat. While she knew she had to remain respectful of her elders, she also would not take someone putting down herself or her bar on the word of a worthless piece of garbage. "Typical?" The pilot took a deep breath. She knew the way that she was dressed, her short hair and her aggressive manner would be their stereotypical version of a lesbian. While she wore little makeup, she never considered herself butch either.

However, to a woman that dressed like she was in a beauty contest and a man that looked like he had reservations at a five star restaurant she would. Her hand unclenched from the fist that it had unconsciously tightened into. _These are elders. These are Andy's parents. Be nice!_ Evie reluctantly removed her hand from the warmth of her flight attendant. "You should see it for yourself, just like you should listen to your daughter before you judge **us**."

By this time, JL had made his way down with the chicken, ready to start the grilling. He had made sure that his son was occupied before leaving him all alone. There was obviously something going on. His tall form was noticed right away by the elder Parks. Their eyes widened at his size and the way that he moved. No one would guess the man was gay. In fact, most would consider him to be a man's man. "Sorry to interrupt. I need to get the chicken going. Sorry I don't have enough to offer some to your friends."

"They were just leaving." Andy left the comforting presence of her friend. She put an arm around each of her parents' waist. "If you're going to be around long, we can have dinner. My treat." It was imploring them to leave at that moment. Already Evie was being insulted. The last thing she wanted was for JL or, she shuddered at the thought, DJ hearing the hateful things her parents were saying. "There's that place that you love so much…"

Betty stopped in mid-step. The abrupt stoppage almost caused Andy to fall on her face and would had if she had not been holding onto her father. The petite brunette made her way to stand in front of Evie. Their height was almost identical. It was a showdown for the ages. Two very strong willed women about to go head to head. "So, you are a lesbian." The older woman's nose was in the air as if she was better than the woman. "I thought so."

JL had placed the chicken on the grill and shut the lid. When he heard the words of the strange woman, he bolted so that he was able to hold Evie back. The petite blond was feisty all right. Instead of her usual fighter's stance though, she stood relaxed with a half-smile upon her face. "I know I do dress the part." Andy's eyes grew wide. This was not happening. "If you were so inclined, I'd show you what our bar is like. While we are classified as a gay bar, I assure you that everyone feels comfortable there. As far as Brett…"

The man that had been ready to hold back Evie turned to look the strange couple in the eye. The resemblance was enough that he assumed that they were the dreaded parents of his new friend. "So, you like Brett." JL stood to his full height. He slowly made his way to Andy. She flinched a little knowing what was about to happen. "I have my bouncer's written statement as well as a video of the incident." Without another word, the bar owner gently pulled up the short sleeves of his friend.

Betty gasped at what she saw and Evie growled. JL had not told her the extent of the injuries. All the pilot had been told was that Brett had been physical with Andy. The petite blond gently pushed past the bar owner and took her friend's bicep in her hand. Her thumb gently rubbed on the already fading marks. At that moment, all that she wanted to do was to track down Brett and give him the same treatment. At the moment, her flight attendant needed her more.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Blue eyes locked with green ones. The world simply faded away. Andy was lost in the eyes and could not speak. It was her fears coming true. First there was the little joke over the rent money, now it was the fact that she had held back a very important detail. It was time, she just knew it. Perhaps it was time to quit her job and move to Las Vegas with her parents since she had no one else. "I want you to tell me when you are hurting."

Andy closed her eyes not able to look into those pools of sea green. There was something more to Evie than just a friend in that moment. Or was the flight attendant seeing only what she wanted to see? Her weekend had been spent, not hurting over what Brett had done, but the realization that she could not keep her eyes from a woman that looked so much like her friend. The thought was too much causing her to swallow hard. "I…I didn't want you to worry."

Though voices were trying to invade their moment, Evie wouldn't allow it. In fact, she moved even closer to her friend. "You could be perfectly safe and I'd worry about you." The pilot felt something telling herself to pull back. If she said too much more, she would cross the line. _Not yet. You can't yet. You just made the first steps today. Besides, you still don't know if she could ever see you that way._ "Perhaps it's that mother side of me coming out."

The words both elated and crushed Andy at the same time. _Did it really happen so quickly? How was it I was fighting having her as a friend to wanting more than that? How did I even realize that I wanted more?_ The flight attendant was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her mother's voice. Betty was saying something about it not being right for Evie to be a mother. "Mother, do shut up. You are so blinded by something, what I don't know, so that you believe Brett over me. You are badmouthing an extremely good mother."

"I told you it was a mistake." Betty turned to her husband. "I think it's time we leave. If our daughter wants to live in sin, it's her choice." George hesitated. Unlike his wife, he was not so sure that everything was as Brett said. Though he was a stranger, there was something in the way that the tall man had spoken. It was with a conviction he used to know when he was younger. "Come dear, we'll just exchange our tickets for an earlier flight."

George stood there for a moment. He could not leave it with his daughter the way that it was. Although he had never understood her, he had loved her. From the moment that she was born, she had been his little princess. Something had happened one summer when Andy had gone to stay with his mother for the summer. She was only ten. Whatever it was, she never said and never was the same. "Andy." His daughter looked at him. "Call me."

It wasn't much. To most it would sound like a weak offering. Andy knew her father and mother well. They were strong people that usually didn't give up their convictions so easily. The flight attendant made her way to her father and slipped her arms around him. "I will, Daddy. I'm sorry about all of this. Just know I'm glad I took your advice and wish I would have about the condo." Her smile was sad as she pulled back to look in her father's face.

An understanding passed between father and daughter. At that moment, he needed to go with his wife. He gave his daughter a wink before turning to his wife. There was a look of incomprehension on the petite brunette. George simply shrugged his shoulders and took her hand in his. Betty never looked back but her husband did. He truly loved his daughter and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was a rock and a hard place that he found himself between.

Andy watched her parents walk away. It had been an unexpected visit with mixed results. Her father seemed to want to try and bridge the gap. At least that was a start. JL had gone over to the grill partially to keep the chicken from burning and partially to give the ladies a little bit of privacy. Something the flight attendant had not wanted revealed had come to the surface. It was time that they talk. "So…" The brunette turned to see her friend staring at her.

Evie took her friend's hand and led her to the garage where both their motorcycles rested. The petite blond leaned against hers while the brunette leaned against the wall. "I want to make something very clear." Andy had been looking at the ground with a great deal of interest. With the urgency in the pilot's voice, it caused green eyes to meet blue. "For me, it goes beyond being just a mother. I feel something for you. You are a good friend first. But…"

The flight attendant pushed herself off from the wall. She was feeling almost the same thing that her friend was feeling. They had Brett, her parents and personal issues to deal with. However, there was no way that Andy could deny that she felt something for Evie. "But you wish that there was something more." The petite blond looked away for the longest of moments. The brunette waited until the green eyes lifted to hers.

It was odd. One moment, not so long ago, Andy was so unsure that she even wanted to have Evie as her friend. She was so certain that there would never even be a lasting friendship and now she was about to put herself on the line. Never had the flight attendant taken a chance like this before. "I have some things that I need to work through. I know you do as well." The brunette reached out and gently stroked the soft cheek. "Just know that I am interested in more."

"Oh." It was lame. It was stupid. Evie's brain had simply shutdown. It was something that she had never expected. Here she was finding out that the woman she had a crush on, more than a crush, would not turn down something more. In a way, she felt like a teenager with her first crush. Quickly she warned herself again that all that Andy had ever known was Brett. All that she had ever known was people abandoning her.

It took a moment for Evie's brain to kick in. "Well, I have to say that I'm glad you think you are interested in more." There was a tentative smile on her face. "At the same time, I don't want to take advantage of a situation. This could all be because for once in your life, I'm showing you unconditional friendship. This could be because you want to find that something more, which I don't blame you." Andy's face became sad and withdrawn. "There is another part of me that thinks you are finally discovering the real you."

It was Evie's turn to reach out and gently touch her friend's face. Pleading blue eyes met with understanding green ones. "If you want, I'll help you discover who you are." Andy swallowed at the words. The many meanings flowed through her body and settled right between her legs. In fact, a humming began and she could not help the smile that appeared on her face. "You just tell me how fast you want to make this discovery together."

Why was she being so bold? Evie saw the light in the blue eyes and she knew why. She had vowed so many times since they had met to push her feelings aside. The want, no need for a friend having overridden the attraction she had. But now, after the weekend, after destroying the pictures of Brandi there was something else that had taken over that overwhelming need. The pilot wanted to be in love, maybe for the very first time in her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Evie was getting tired of her job. It wasn't her job so much as the fact that she and Andy could never seem to be assigned to the same flight. They never ended up in the same destination, even for a brief moment. Worse, they never seemed to have anytime together at home. It wasn't the boys keeping them apart. It was the fact that they never had the same days off. It was getting frustrating for her. She wondered if her friend felt the same.

It was sad. The two women lived in the same apartment, now for about a month, still they rarely saw one another. They stayed in contact by texting, calling or Skyping. Of course most of Evie's time was spent talking to her son. He, she knew, was also feeling the strain of not being together. Another thing to think about was it was just beginning. Thanksgiving was fast approaching. Then Christmas followed quickly behind. While summer was full of vacationers, it was the family holidays that increased travel.

The pilot found herself in a familiar spot. It was almost two in the afternoon in New York City. She was in one of the many bars in one of the many hotels which were right next to the airport. The plane that was to be used had been in need of repairs and the backup plane wasn't going to be ready until morning so the flight was delayed until then. Evie had told the airline not to bother with her unless it was a flight back to Atlanta. Of course, they weren't too thrilled with her order.

At this point, all she cared about was getting back home. Though well aware of the attention she was drawing from both men and women as she still wore her pilot's uniform, she didn't care. It wasn't the first time the thoughts crossed her mind. Ever since her last almost one night stand, sitting in a bar drinking had taken on a new meaning. Her alcohol consumption had luckily not gone up; it was just a way to feel a little less lonely when she could not be around the people she loved.

The thought didn't even scare her anymore. The fact that Andy was included in the short list of people she loved warmed her, not frightened her. From the moment she had laid eyes on the tall flight attendant, she loved her. But she was not yet in love with her, at least she didn't think so. What she knew was that her heart felt something when she was around the raven haired beauty. Again, it was what she thought she'd feel for a lover. But how could she be sure?

Evie sighed heavily as she took another sip of her drink. It was typical airport or cheap hotel bar alcohol. It was watered down. Too bad the prices were anything but watered down. The same could be said about her feelings for Brandi. They had been watered down, only she had not realized it. The petite blond sighed heavily wondering if she was ever going to get love right. Her eyes closed as she sent up a silent prayer to not let her hurt Andy, her flight attendant.

The sound of a drink being set in front of her caused her eyes to open. Evie looked down at it, knowing most likely what it represented. While her libido was screaming for her to just have one more fling, Andy never needing to know, her heart ached at the thought. It really wasn't like they were dating, yet. The flight attendant had just admitted to her that there was a possibility they could have something more than friendship.

It wasn't like she would actually be cheating. Besides, everyone had these one night stands, right? Evie cursed herself. These were the types of arguments that normally would allow her just to fall into bed with whoever was the most convenient. Never would she stop to think about who the other woman had waiting at home for them. In a way, she had someone waiting at home for her. The pilot once again found her resolve, shoving the drink back at the bartender. "Tell whoever sent it, thanks but no thanks."

The female bartender looked her up and down. A body that once would have loved to feel some stranger's eyes upon it now only felt slightly sick at the sensation. There was only one set of amazing blue eyes that twinkled when she was happy, faded to an almost translucent color when she was sad and yet to see what they were like when she was mad. That was something she hoped never to be the cause behind, just like she never wanted to cause her sadness.

"I thought I knew your drink by now." Evie's head whipped up, almost causing her whiplash. The last person she thought she'd see in New York was standing there. Not exactly true as it would have been worse seeing Brandi there. It was shocking enough to see her employee and occasional playmate standing there. Green eyes blinked wondering if the drinks had not been as watered down as she thought they were. "What's the matter, Sugar? Cat got your tongue?"

"Lilly?" Evie was nearly speechless. Almost every day for the past two weeks, her employee had made an excuse to text her, get her to come to the bar or would simply show up at the apartment. Even while they were having their friends with benefits relationship, that had been a negative. DJ had only just turned ten. She didn't want him asking why the woman was there. True, she could say she worked in the bar, but he was bright. He would have figured out there was more to it than that. "What are you doing north of the Mason Dixon line?"

That caused the raven haired woman to laugh. It was something she had vowed never to do. Lilly was not opposed to Northerners. It was simply she loved her home in the south. She had been born and raised in Atlanta. In fact, she still only lived about fifteen minutes from the house her parents still owned. Of course they wanted nothing to do with her. It wasn't because of being gay. It was because she was a dancer in a club. "Well, you said the apartment is off limits. So I thought I'd do our usual."

Evie's temper was beginning to flare. Her hand clenched in a fist to keep herself from taking the drink still on the bar and throwing it into Lilly's face. She relaxed just a little as thoughts of other incidents when her suave charm was not enough to coax a woman to take her back to her hotel room. A drink or two had been thrown in her face as well. The alcohol burned quite a bit. That was the only reason she didn't unleash her inner Demon Evie on the dancer.

The pilot stood throwing a wad of bills on the bar. "I buy my own drinks." She shoved past the raven haired woman. Evie swayed just a bit. She'd had one drink too many. This was not a good time to be tipsy. Lilly had this way about her. The last thing she needed now was not to have her defenses fully available. The petite blond managed to make it to the elevators without having to lean on anything. She took that as a good sign.

What wasn't a good sign was the familiar voice that seemed to echo in her now pounding head. _You've done it this time. You allowed yourself to get out of control._ Evie sighed, attempting to ignore the familiar presence that was just beside her and the way that Lilly was insisting on touching her arm. Sadly, after denying herself for so long, it wouldn't take much for her to just give in, especially when she knew the intimate touches so well of her longtime playmate.

Finally the elevator doors opened. Evie waited patiently for the family of four to exit before she entered the now empty elevator. Just as the doors were closing, the pilot flashed back to the last time she had almost allowed herself what her body was so strongly craving. It was like history was doomed to repeat itself as she felt her alcohol weakened body being slammed against the back wall. Lips, ones she didn't want, were attacking hers as hands were under her jacket.

Had her mind not been fuzzy from the amount of drinks she'd consumed, she would have thrown off her attacker sooner. The chiming of the bell on the elevator helped her to regain some of her strength and she did manage to shove Lilly away from her body. Without saying a word, Evie stormed down the hallway, attempting to find her room. It took a moment for her to realize she was on the wrong floor. Cursing, she smashed into her shadow. "Lilly, take 'hell no' for an answer for once. Please."

Not waiting for an answer, she stormed back to the elevators, glad when one was already waiting for her. A hand kept the door from closing. Evie suddenly felt like she was in a nightmare. One that was she was doomed to repeat for the rest of her life if she couldn't come up with a reason or a way for her to get Lilly to leave her alone. "Sugar, you're way too tense. Why don't we just find someplace, my room maybe, and just get lost for the rest of the afternoon."

Evie had her hand to her temple. The headache that had been induced by her alcohol consumption was now throbbing so badly she was about to get sick. Evilly she wondered if she could get away with throwing up on Lilly. _Maybe then she'd get the hint. Flattered as always, had a good time once upon a time but it's now time for both of us to move on. I have something so special waiting for me at home._ The thought caused her to smile.

Unfortunately, Lilly took that as her walls crumbling. Once again she found herself in a lip lock of epic proportions. This time the hands somehow had her blouse untucked and were feeling the fact that she was not wearing a bra. Evie showed the strength that everyone thought she would not have as well as the anger she had been trying to keep a leash on. The raven haired woman went flying across the elevator, slamming hard into the shut doors. "I said…NO!"

Lilly slumped to the floor, stunned. The elevator chose to open at that moment. Her body fell as the only thing holding it up had been the closed doors. Evie took a deep breath knowing that her temper had gotten the better of her. Hadn't she put up with enough from the dancer first? It was, in a way, rape. Though the pilot's body had admittedly craved the touches, she had said 'no' so many times and yet the raven haired woman had persisted. "Which room are you in?"

Blue eyes blinked several times. It was obvious her employee had been stunned more than she had thought. "Room 227." The voice was quiet and subdued. There was never a time when Evie had heard the dancer's tone be that way. It caused her to shiver thinking maybe she had done more damage than she had intended. All she had wanted was for the unwanted touching to stop. Without a word, the pilot managed to get her friend standing, glad there wasn't an audience around.

They walked in silence. Once they got to the room, Lilly produced the keycard. Evie fumbled with it as she was supporting the weight of the dancer against her body as well. She wouldn't be human if she didn't feel her body reacting. _Keep telling yourself that. You are just a big ole slut. Andy doesn't have this problem. I wonder if I have a problem with…_The pilot didn't allow the thought to finish. It was too much for her to think about, though it would explain a few things.

The petite blond managed to get them both into the room, the door shut and upright until they made it to the bed. Lilly fell to the bed, managing to bring the pilot down on top of her. Evie's body was reacting. There was no doubt about that. Her green eyes closed as she felt her nipples harden. There was the familiar warmth in her nether region, telling her she was already more than ready for her lover to take her.

Her fight was draining. There was no doubt about that. Evie wanted to be true so badly to Andy. Lilly was now unbuttoning her white blouse, exposing the hardened nipples. For a moment, with her eyes closed, the pilot allowed a fantasy to take place. It was like it was with the stranger who looked so much like her flight attendant. Only this touch was familiar. This touch was something she'd had so many times over the years.

The tongue gently caressing first one nipple and then the next almost sent her over the edge. A hand joining in by massaging her core causing her to pulsate even harder. In fact, her body reacted by beginning to move her hips against the hand trying to gain some kind of friction. _This is wrong. This is exactly like cheating._ Green eyes opened wide at the thought. Somehow, with a strength that she pulled from deep down, Evie rolled away from her playmate.

Hastily as she could, Evie stood, buttoning her shirt. Her face was on fire as was the rest of her body. "I told you, this is not what I want anymore." Lilly's eyebrow quirked. She triumphantly glanced at the hardened rosebuds aching as the pilot's hands brushed against them. "My body reacts like that to any woman, you know that." A mental image of Andy was fixed now in her head making it easier. "There's only one woman, ever, that has made my heart and body sing. You aren't her."

Lilly was stunned into silence, which was unlike her. Her blue eyes were watching every movement of the petite hands as they buttoned the shirt first and then the jacket. Finally their eyes met. There was anger behind the green eyes. There was also disgust. "So, I'm all right to use for years? You can play mattress mambo with me, but I'm not good enough for anything more?" Finally out of her stupor, the words were coming sharp and fast. "What if your precious Andy were to know about our little arrangement? About what you did in the elevator to me? And how your body still reacts to my touch?"

Evie put her hand to her temple. Not only was her head pounding, her stomach was threatening to revolt on her once again. "I'll tell her the truth. You and I have been friends with benefits for years. I'll tell her you were practically raping me, not taking no for an answer. Finally, I'll tell her that you want me. You'd say anything to get me in your bed." Green eyes blinked and the pilot swallowed hard. "And you do know that JL can't stand you. So who do you think he'll back? Hmmm?"

The raven haired woman crossed her arms over her chest. She was not going to give up on Evie that easily. When she wanted something, she never let go. "We might just see who she believes." A sneer formed on the dancer's face. _And maybe the bitch has a past. I know she has an ex-boyfriend which everyone seems to forget. Hello! Straight!_ "All I have to say for now is that this is far from over." The dancer took several steps towards the pilot.

The petite blond was having none of that. Evie quickly made her way to the door. She slammed it shut behind her realizing she still had the keycard in her pocket. Taking a deep breath knowing what the right thing was, she opened the door and threw the card without looking. She heard a satisfying yelp before she turned and quickly made her way to her own room. Her nerves were shot by the time that she opened the door and closed it behind her.

For a moment, she leaned her head against the cool metal of the door. The coolness seemed to help her headache ever so slightly. Her stomach was another story. The thought of Lilly touching her was making her ill. All these years, she had known that the dancer was a possessive woman, though she had always thought it was half in jest. Now she knew that the woman was totally and completely psycho. Evie wanted to call Andy and warn her.

The pilot quickly stripped out of her uniform, glad she only had to fly to Chicago and then back to Atlanta. It was a quick turnaround meaning she wouldn't have to spend another night alone. She wouldn't be tempted to find solace in the bottle or in a woman's bed. With care, she hung up her uniform, glad she had her spare with her. This one was not going to be worn again until it was fumigated. That was a little harsh, but still it needed dry cleaned badly.

Now Evie needed to calm her body down. She made her way into the bathroom, turning on only the cold water. While seeking release, especially to Andy's picture sounded wonderful, the pilot was attempting to train her body. There was only one woman in the world she wanted to have tasting her like Lilly just had. There was only one woman in the world she wanted touching her like the dancer had. Imagining it was nice, but it wasn't the real thing.

Evie's overheated body shivered as the spray hit her. Her cell phone rang several times, but the petite blond never heard any of the calls. She kept her head under the water for a long time before scrubbing the residue left by Lilly from her body. It really now felt like the dancer was poison and she needed to wash every trace of the woman from her body and her life. In fact, in that moment, the pilot made a decision. It might cost the business, but she didn't care anymore.

This was personal. There was mixing business with pleasure like she had with the occasional nights of passion with Lilly. But this went beyond mixing business. This was the dancer attempting to force her into something that she did not want. It was something she would never want with the woman, especially after seeing her true colors. The beeps of the messages being left behind were never heard by the petite blond.

Now cold from the freezing showed, Evie decided to take a nap. She wrapped her body in the blankets on the bed. Her head was already aching less once it hit the pillow. Her stomach was still a little upset. Her mind drifted towards a certain raven haired woman as it always seemed to. _I hope you know, I really didn't mean to hurt her. All I wanted was for her to stop._ The pilot sighed heavily as sleep began to take her. _Be safe and happy. I miss you, Andy._

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The raven locks were blowing as the slender fingers made their way through aiding in the drying process. Andy was staring at herself in the mirror, only half paying attention as she was blow drying her hair. She was exhausted. Her day had started at two in the morning Atlanta time. It was now two in the afternoon and she had just gotten home from her latest trip. The flight attendant never remembered working so many hours, not even during the rush of holidays.

Of course all the airlines were down streaming. They were cutting back on all employees, yet expecting everything to run smoothly as before. Andy sighed again as she thought about why she had become a flight attendant in the first place. It wasn't just for the travel. Getting out of Atlanta had been her wish. Not away from her family, but away from everything else. Yet here she was, still in her hometown and not really having anything to show for her life.

Andy had very little money in her savings account. Her bills were almost outweighing what she brought in. If she weren't living with Evie and her family, she wasn't sure where she would be. Finally, she shut off the blow dryer, placing it on the shelf. It was still odd for her to have a bathroom to herself. She never had one growing up and Brett always yelled at her when she left anything out in the open that could be considered embarrassing.

Brett. That was something she was thinking a lot about lately. Not just the man, but what had made her stay with him as long as she had. Why had she been with him in the first place? The fateful night came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. As Andy remembered, she absently got dressed. She wanted to be ready for DJ. JL had a shipment coming into the restaurant that only he could sign for. Evie was of course gone. That left the flight attendant to be there for the boy.

It was something she looked forward to. Though she was gone quite a bit, she and DJ seemed to be getting closer. He rarely even objected when she let it slip and call him his initials instead of Dustin. He was so adorable and his feistiness reminded her of a certain petite blond who was in New York City at the moment. Andy was glad they were finally going to get two days off together. One of which was a planned date.

The thought of her first date with Evie brought the memories flooding back of her date with Brett. Her mother had decided after one meeting that he was the man for her daughter. The man was perfect because she met him at church. He was well spoken and came from a wonderful background. Basically, her ex was her mother's dream man, not hers. Even back then, Andy had wondered if she was attracted to men, women or both.

Something happened that never allowed her the process when she was a teenager to really fully explore the sexual side of her being. Instead, she just went along with what society and her mother, thought was best for her. In the case of her mother, it was Brett. Blood was supposed to be thicker than water, but with him it was like he created everything. Sometimes Andy wondered if her mother was not in love with him and projecting that want onto her daughter.

Andy shoved the thoughts of Brett out of her mind. Evie wasn't due until early morning, but they would have most of the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday was their date. Neither of them had an early flight so it was going to be just the two of them as late as they wanted. Where, she was not sure. Her pilot had said she had plans for them that the flight attendant never would guess. It made her giddy trying to figure out what her…girlfriend…was that the right term…was up to.

A deep breath cleansed her thoughts. She trusted Evie. It wasn't so much worrying about what they were going to do, just this could ruin the first friendship Andy had had with anyone where the person never wanted anything more than what she was willing to give. Would it be the same when they officially crossed that line into something more than simply friends? And would they be able to remain friends in the end?

The flight attendant cursed her dark thoughts. First she had to think of Brett. That was never a pleasant topic. Then she had to wonder if she and Evie were going to be able to survive a relationship that hadn't even started. There was DJ to consider after all. It was clear she was becoming an important part of his life, even watching him when his parents couldn't be there for him. Even Trouble was getting attached to both Andy and her kitty.

_Stop this now!_ It wasn't Andy's voice she was hearing in her head. The room began to spin as she heard the familiar voice. One that she had not heard since the summer she had turned ten. It was…her grandmother's voice. About a month after she had stayed there for the summer, her grandmother had passed away. The only thing she remembered was never crying for the woman's passing. Something had happened that long ago summer, but what?

_I don't believe you. You are just a pretty girl who likes to tease. Those boys wouldn't want to hurt you. Go play and leave me to my cooking._ Andy had to sit on the bed only narrowly missing the red fur ball. Rose of course let her know her displeasure at being moved so quickly and against her will. "What the hell was that about?" The flight attendant focused on that summer, trying hard to remember what it was all about. The neighbor boys were her age and they used to play during the summer.

Andy's cell phone rang interrupting the concentration of recovering a memory that was long ago locked away, the key having been thrown away. The tall woman stood, stretching wondering who could be calling her. She grabbed the ringing device not recognizing the number. "Hello?" She listened intently to the woman on the other end of the line. It was DJ's school. Neither JL nor Evie could be reached and DJ was not doing so good. "I'll be right there."

Of course the only vehicle that Andy had was her motorcycle. The flight attendant remembered Evie had told her she kept a booster seat and helmet just for her son out in the garage. It would be cheaper than a taxi. The raven haired woman debated for a moment before dialing a number to a taxi cab. If the young boy was not feeling well, the last thing he needed was to have to worry about wind in his face. Another quick call attempting to get a hold of JL proved fruitless.

The raven haired woman got to the front of the bar just in time for the taxi to arrive. The ride was a short one. Regretfully, Andy sent the driver on his way, unsure of exactly what it was ailing her little friend. The irony hit her as she walked into the public school. There were several schools that served Atlanta and its suburbs. How was it that the boy went to the one that she had as a child? It made finding the nurse's office a lot easier.

A woman nodded to her as she opened the door. "My name is Andrea Parks." She extended her hand. "I was called and told that DJ, I mean, Dustin wasn't feeling well." The raven haired woman suddenly realized that as friend of the family, she should not be allowed to take the boy home, not without parents either written or verbal consent. Since neither parent had been available, she was curious as to why she would be allowed the privilege.

"One moment." The woman typed something into the computer sitting in front of her. "Do you have a driver's license or another picture ID?" Andy reached into her back pocket. She hated to carry a purse but sometimes wished that she did. The flight attendant found what she was looking for and handed it to the stranger. "You have a different address now?" The woman held the ID at arm's length as if to get a better look at it.

"Yes." Andy was leaning on the tall counter. Her body was still tired from the early morning and now long afternoon. "I moved only about a month ago. I've been working almost every day or I would have changed it." She smiled sheepishly. "Guess that'll be one of the things I do tomorrow." She chuckled softly hoping that the woman would understand. The nurse, or office lady, was young but not very pleasant.

"That would be appreciated in case this happens again." The woman handed the ID back to its owner. "Ms. Whitmore put you on as one of his nonfamily emergency contacts just last week." Finally, the sandy blond woman smiled. It still wasn't all that pleasant and caused Andy to straighten up in an attempt to distance herself from the woman. "Dustin has an upset stomach. He even got a little sick. We haven't given him anything, just kept him resting. He's in there."

"Thank you." Andy made her way into the dimly lit room. DJ was lying on his side holding onto a pan in one hand and had his other arm draped across his forehead. "Hey, Little Man." The arm moved slowly but the smile was instantly on his face. It was weak as clearly he was feeling truly sick. A large gentle hand stroked his forehead feeling the abundance of warmth there. "I think you're just trying to get out of that math test tomorrow." She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Hate to tell you this, but teachers love make up tests."

That got a soft chuckle out of the boy. "I know they do. My friend said they make'em harder too!" His voice was barely a whisper and it hit Andy right in her soul. This little boy was a part of the woman she was growing very fond of, even loved, and to see him hurt like this was almost too much. A big sigh escaped him. "I'm sorry that you had to come here." His eyes closed. The flight attendant wasn't sure if it was from being sick or because it was her there instead of one of his parents. "I mean, you're too cool to be stuck with me."

Andy was taken aback at someone, even a child of ten, referring her to as 'cool'. Growing up, she was not exactly an outcast. She just never seemed to fit in with anybody else. She had a handful of friends, grateful for them when it came to partnering in class. None of those people was she close to now, in fact, most she didn't even know where they were today. "You're the cool one, Little Man." Without even thinking about it, she picked up the boy in her strong arms. "Hold on tight."

She felt his weak arms wrap around her neck. Even in his weakened condition, he was almost strangling her. The sensation caused her to choke. This was what she wanted. She wanted, not only to have someone love her unconditionally, she wanted to be a family. A family that took care of one another and wouldn't care if she was with who they thought she should be with. As she made it to the door, she heard the unpleasant voice call out. "I never thought she'd let anyone in. She's quite a catch, you know."

At first, Andy was not sure what the strange woman was referring to. When she saw the look the woman was giving to DJ, she knew. It was the same wishful dreamy look she caught herself having in the mirror when she thought of Evie. _She's my pilot, so back the hell off! I wonder…_ The flight attendant looked into the eyes closer and she swallowed. Her pilot had been honest with her about having had been with many women over the years.

This one sitting staring at the blond haired boy was obviously one of her former conquests. _I wonder how exactly many are out there or if I even want to know._ Andy swallowed hard at the knowledge that Evie was so much more experienced than she was. The raven haired woman had been attracted to women before, but never acted on it. Never had she even kissed another woman. There had been a few men other than Brett. At least those other men had left her feeling satisfied. Her ex had just gotten out of their intimate relations what he wanted, not caring about what she needed.

Thankfully, their times at becoming intimate had pretty much ended before the breakup. _I should really get myself tested. We usually used protection, but what if…_She visibly shuddered hoping holding the boy in her arms could be blamed. The extra weight was something she was not used to and yet it felt right in her arms. Finally her mind caught backup to where the conversation had left off. Not wanting to lead the woman on, she simply said, "Yes, she is."

The flight attendant managed to walk out of the office and back towards the entrance. "I'm going to have to sit us both down while I call a taxi, ok Little Man?" A weak head nodded against her neck. Motherhood. It was something she wanted desperately. She only hoped that she wasn't factoring having an instant son into her feelings for Evie. Carefully she one handedly pulled out her cell phone. It wasn't long before they were in the yellow vehicle on their way back to the apartment.

Andy gave the boy a cool bath to try and lower his temperature a little. Instead of tucking him away in his room, she placed the boy on the couch with his head pillowed in her lap. Already she had the wastebasket, a little cooler she had found filled with ice, cold water and juice, some children's Tylenol, the house phone and her cell phone. Rose was curled up on the back of the couch purring softly while Trouble was being held in the little boy's arms.

"Andy?" The boy's soft voice startled her. She had just been about to try both JL and Evie again on their cell phones. The flight attendant wasn't worried about caring for the young boy. Though not experienced with children on a personal level, it was something when she did have occasion to care for a child that seemed to come naturally. Her blue eyes met with his blue eyes, hers twinkling. "What did Ms. Evans mean by mom being a good catch?"

That was the last thing that Andy had thought the boy was going to ask. She was prepared for a trip to the bathroom. She was prepared for his stomach not doing so well. She was prepared for almost anything. That was so from left field she was stunned into silence for the longest times. "Well…um…" This was not going to be a question that she answered easily, that was for sure. _Oh Evie I wish you were here with me to explain things._

"Did it mean…" DJ began to have a coughing fit, much to the kitty's and puppy's dismay. Andy began to rub the boy's chest hoping that it would help ease the pain. After a few moments of coughing followed by drinking some water, the boy settled on his back looking up into concerned loving eyes. "You look at me like Mom does when I'm sick." There was no stopping the blush on the flight attendant's cheeks. "Did Ms. Evans mean you and Mom are now dating?"

The flight attendant wanted to burst out laughing. Though she'd known Evie a month now, she had no idea what she had told her son about her lifestyle. Either DJ knew that his mother was a lesbian by observing her or he had been told. Most likely, the pilot would have told her son that she loved differently than some thought normal as did his father. That would have been an interesting conversation to have with a ten year old.

"I didn't know that you knew…" She trailed off when one blue eye popped open. "Right. Your mother is very open and honest about everything." Andy thought about what exactly to say. They weren't as of yet dating, exactly. They had a date planned, but if DJ was too sick they would have to cancel. "We haven't yet gone on an actual date, though we are going to." Another thought crossed her mind. "Does that bother you? I mean, if you don't like me being with your mom, I'll…"

A weak hand reached up and patted her shoulder. His movements were so grownup. His movements were so much like his mother's. His eyes might be blue like his father and he was obviously going to be tall, other than that, the boy was his mother's son. "Andy, I like you. You're very cool." He swallowed before continuing. He hated talking about feelings but he wanted her to know. "You're the only girl I like, besides my mom. And…" His blue eyes blinked for a moment. "You make her happy."

Andy nearly lost it when he said the last part. It was all that she ever wanted. She wanted to make Evie the happiest woman in the world. No, that wasn't exactly true, though it was certainly a big part of her plans. No what she really wanted was for the entire package. What she really wanted was to find a way to make her pilot, JL and DJ happy. It was a daunting task for someone that had trouble even considering the petite blond a friend only a few short weeks ago.

"I do, huh?" The blond head nodded, the eyes closing from being exhausted. "Well I know you and you're daddy make her happy too. We just have to all keep making her happy." A small smile grew on the boy's face. It warmed and charmed Andy once again. The flight attendant took a deep breath. _So, I have the approval of one of the men in Evie's life. I wonder what JL will have to say about this?_ There was heat coming from her cheeks as she thought of the pilot as more.

Her cell phone rang at that moment. Her heart skipped a bit when a picture of Evie appeared on the screen. It was the pilot dressed in her uniform, but the jacket not buttoned up. Instead of her hat on her head, she had pushed her sunglasses there. The smile on her face lit up the screen. Her green eyes had caught the light of the sun and reflected golden rays. Andy's mouth went dry at the picture knowing it was from an attraction that was growing by leaps and bounds.

Andy answered the phone, hearing the panic in the smaller woman's voice. Evie had taken a nap and had missed the calls. "It's all right. JL was busy at work so they called me." There was stunned silence for a moment to which the flight attendant took upon herself to break. "It's a good thing you put me down as an emergency contact when you did." More silence followed. "I'm glad you did. It...It means a lot to me that you'd trust me with the care of your son."

Evie almost dropped the phone. _She is too adorable for words. I can even see the sad look on her face. What happened to you when you were growing up? I know your parents don't accept you and not because you're gay. I don't think they ever did._ "Of course I trust you with him." She thought for just a moment before continuing. "Don't you know he adores you?" _Not as much as I do._ "You are becoming very important in his life." _And in mine._

For a long moment, Andy simply stared at the boy who was now sound asleep. Feeling the weight of his head against her legs and she just now realized the grip of his little hand round her bicep, it was the most amazing feeling she'd ever known. _He really does like me._ "I'm beginning to realize that, yes." Blue eyes closed for a moment debating on whether saying what she was thinking. Her mind was telling her no but her heart, which was going to win, was telling her yes.

"I want you to know something." Andy cleared her throat. She was not, for once, anticipating something bad happening. For once, she was not expecting to be kicked out of her home or abandoned by a friend that she needed so desperately in her life. She was simply speaking from her heart knowing how many things could happen in life. There were no guarantees in life. "I will always be here for him. No matter if something happens, who knows what, I'll make sure that he is happy and taken care of."

In those words, Evie realized that her girlfriend, for that was how she considered Andy, was committing herself to the pilot. Not just for a short time either as she was committing herself should something happen to either the petite blond or JL. "I know you will. It's one of the things…" She almost said it. But it was too soon to go throwing around the L word just yet. "I admire about you. Andy, something happened here in New York. Nothing horrible and yet, it wasn't good either."

Cryptic. When people were this cryptic, in Andy's experience, it could be nothing. It could just be something she wasn't proud of. It could be something that happened to her. Whatever it was, the flight attendant would listen. She wouldn't judge. There were only a few things that would scare her off from a relationship with her pilot at this point. "We can talk when you get back. I'm looking forward to our date by the way."

Andy thought she could hear the sigh of relief coming from her, ayup, she was ready, girlfriend. "We also can talk about how DJ thinks it would be a good thing if we were dating." That got a choking sound coming from the petite blond. "How he says I make you happy." That garnered a clearing of the throat. "And I want you to know something." There was deathly silence coming from the other end of the phone. "I never knew what happy was like until I met you."

There. That put it out there. It was the biggest step that Andy had ever taken in her life. Not only had she told Evie she was interested a couple weeks ago, now she was telling her she was happy in her life. Of course she wanted more. It was a curse, she guessed. Once you finally got a taste of what you'd never really had, not even as a child, you wanted more and more of it. _I think I'll die trying to make this work. It's you and me Evie. Always._


End file.
